Look at What I've made!
by orihei
Summary: MPREG. AKAFURI. Akashi visited Kuroko, Kagami and Furihata in Osaka. Set during university years. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I never write Mpreg before so I'm going to give it a try. So, a little warning if you hate mpreg. Kay~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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**Story: Look at what I've made!**

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**Chapter 1: A one night stand mistake**

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The cold air graced his hands in the middle of the winter night. Equipped with only his lime green winter hoodie, Furihata wandered the tarred road alone, basked in just the city lights. The streets were empty from any soul, the air was eerie and empty but he braved the street like it was nothing. What was he doing outside in the cold night, you asked? He was going home (no worries there) after spending his last bit of his allowance at the gambling center. He was only a twenty-one years old undergraduate, second year in University and yet he carelessly spent his money like it was water but Furihata couldn't stop his gambling habit. He tried to minimize it so that he won't be starved. Today however, he did the most stupid thing by emptying his pocket to a barren state because the girl he had been dating cheated on him and broke it off for another guy.

"Stupid woman. Am I not good enough?" Furihata tilted his chin up morosely. What was he going to eat tomorrow? Leaves? Sticks? Pebbles? Furihata knew, _knew_, **knew** he'd have to turn to the only people he could rely on – his next door neighbor and his lover, Kuroko and Kagami. The three of them had graduated from the same high school and Kuroko had chosen the same university he was going to in Osaka while Kagami was attending Kobe International College. It was also by fate that they ended up living next door to Furihata. The area where he lived was strategic for students since it was close to university. Rent wasn't expensive and the groceries were tagged cheaply too.

Thus, his savior from starvation was Kuroko.

The next day, he knocked on Kuroko's door and Kuroko gave him a simple 'good morning' with messy bed hair. Furihata grinned toothily together with his nervous laughter. Kuroko knowingly looked at him and sighed, ensuing that sigh with an invitation to come in. Kagami walked into the living room with just a towel on, asking, "Who is it?"

When he saw Furihata sitting in the room with the familiar grin he'd put on whenever he felt guilty, Kagami shook his head. "Again?"

"Hehehe, I'm sorry but I'm in your care now", Furihata nodded shyly.

"Huh, so you're going to be hitching on Kuroko's bike for a while then. And you have two weeks left before your next allowance", Kagami stated as a matter-of- fact. Kuroko came back with a plate of freshly baked cookies and a tall glass of milk, setting it in front of his troubled friend.

"Do you want to talk about the cause and reason?" asked Kuroko after he was comfortably seated next to Furihata.

"I got dumped by the girl I dated?" Furihata nervously answered. He received a harsh punch on his shoulder next, yelping more in shock at the sudden contact.

"Are you an idiot?" Kagami scolded angrily. "She's not supposed to be the reason for your death! There are other girls around. Find another one if you lose one".

"Kagami-kun is right, Furihata-kun. Managing your student's finance is very important. Please don't gamble when your pocket is shallow", Kuroko said. Furihata took a cookie and nibbled quietly. The couples were aware of his gambling habit and they tried to put a stop to it but Furihata ran on his emotional gear. Whenever he was down, he hit the gambling center without a second thought.

"Y'know", Kagami broke free from the silence, "If you have no luck with the ladies, why don't you try to date a gentleman?"

Furihata stared at him with a 'Are you serious?' face.

"Absolutely not", he answered immediately. "I am straight to begin with", he added to the statement, reminding them that his sexuality would never sway.

"It is just a suggestion, Furihata-kun. Please don't be offended", said Kuroko.

"No, I understand", the said boy grabbed another cookies. He stayed over, watching some broadcast of NBA games, having a fulfilling lunch with Kagami and Kuroko afterwards. Around noon, Kuroko received a call from a friend. The boy had gone to the kitchen to talk while the other two just continued doing their own activities. When Kuroko came back, he had a grim face on, glancing at Furihata once then at Kagami.

"Akashi-kun is visiting Osaka. He planned to stay for a week but we have no room for him here…" Kuroko said.

"Can't he just get himself a hotel room or something?" Kagami asked, irritated.

"The hotels are fully booked for the season. Hm… Furihata-kun", he looked at the nervous young adult.

"Yes?" Furihata squeaked. He didn't like where this conversation was going. Nope, not at all.

"Can you let Akashi stays with you for a week?" And Kuroko used his guilt trap on him – a silent reminder how they were going to be the one supporting his survival for the next two weeks. Furihata couldn't refuse the request. Reluctantly, he agreed to the arrangement with Furihata on the losing side and Kuroko on the winning side. Kagami was happy too since he didn't have to share the same space with a demonic being.

"Make sure to clean your place", Kuroko said, swishing his hand around, "We'll provide you the cleaning agents".

"Eh…" was all Furihata could make out from his newly aroused situation.

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When Furihata first saw Akashi in the tournament, his impression of Akashi was that of a fierce animal. He (Furihata) was a small being compared to Akashi, like a mouse to a cat. The only memory he remembered of the said person was his fear of him. If the Rakuzan Emperor Akashi was a fierce animal that resided in his memory's forest, the Akashi Seijuurou standing in front of him was that of a beast but a majestic one. Something close to a Godzilla? Yes, that must be it.

Right now, he'd do a dogeza and prayed to Akashi if he had too. He didn't just feel fear (there would still be a slim hope of trauma recovery if that was the case). With the current Akashi, whose height combatable to Hyuuga Junpei's own , he instilled permanent nightmare in Furihata's mind. Furihata had grown some too, to where Akashi was, a mere 173 cm while Akashi towered at 179 cm like a… a mini Godzilla.

Akashi (the Godzilla) was well-dressed; a Khaki pants hand tailored by Mr. Armani (a joke really since he didn't even know the brand of the pants Akashi was wearing) and ocean blue Polo T-shirt, his shoes polished to shine like the owner and when he took off the shoes to enter the place he would stay for a week, Furihata was sure he saw _the_ Louis Vuitton emblem near the ankle area of the black socks. Furihata whined in his head. Just how rich is this guy anyway?

"You have an exceptional place", Akashi said calmly. Too calmly. Furihata didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Eh… Right. It's just a small studio apartment though", Furihata mumbled humbly. The brunet haired young man was sweating bullet but he showed Akashi the double bed where he had given his guest the privilege to sleep on. Akashi nodded and picked up the bag he had left at the entryway, carrying it to the bed.

"May I use the wardrobe? I would like to hang some of my clothes", asked Akashi politely.

"Y-Yeah, sure", said Furihata. Kuroko had made him transferred most of his clothes to their (Kagami and Kuroko) store room. The reasoning was to allow Akashi to hang his clothes; Kuroko expected Akashi to bring clothes for whatever event he had to attend in Osaka. What he had heard from Kuroko was Akashi was going to attend some sort of Biotechnology seminar to present a thesis about… heterogamous for his PhD (at the age of twenty-one)… Some shit like that. He had no idea what the topic was about but Kuroko looked hopeful when he spoke of Akashi's presentation. Even Kagami had the same ray radiating from his face when Kuroko was explaining to Furihata about Akashi's visit. It must have been an important thesis for them…

Akashi unloaded his baggage. It was painful for Furihata to watch Gucci, Levis and Polo Shirts of branded chains being kept in his wardrobe when they didn't even belong to him. He had no such money to own expensive clothes and the most expensive thing he had ever own was a worn out pair of Adidas basketball shoes from five years ago. Seeing Akashi owning more than one branded items made him itched with anxiety since that meant Akashi was used to five-star treatment that a commoner like him couldn't provide.

"Thank you for having me in your home, Kouki", said Akashi, expressing his gratitude monotonously. Furihata wanted to weep when Akashi called him on a first name basis. Their status must have been like the sea and the mountain for Akashi to immediately use his first name.

"W-Well, you're… you're welcome, Akashi-san", Furihata stuttered.

"You may remove me from your vicinity if my presence becomes overbearing for you. Anytime", Akashi added as an afterthought. Furihata gulped – no, he didn't even dare to kick Akashi out anytime because he was too intimidating and Furihata had a weak heart. _Be as overbearing as you want!_ He shouted in his head.

Later that evening, they had dinner at Kuroko's place. Kagami, despite his resentment towards the Rakuzan Captain, had cooked delicious outlandish foreign food for the four of them. Furihata had forgotten about his worries for a while at the company of the food, chowing down like there was no tomorrow. They ended the night holding a drinking party with just the four of them – Akashi had even supplied the alcoholic drinks. Furihata had doused himself to the edge cans after cans and when he became too drunk, Kagami had carried the brunet boy to his apartment, leaving the said young man on the sofa that he had claimed as his territory for the week. Akashi locked the door once the couple was gone. Furihata, on the sofa, mumbled nonsense in his drowsy drunken state – he was not in the state to entertain his guest.

A smirk tugged on the red haired male's lips, his eyes glinting with indescribable excitement at the opportunity presented before his eyes. He rummaged his pocket to take out an injection syringe and a small bottle contained with blue liquid. He approached Furihata and kneeled next to him, grabbing the smaller male's wrist carefully. He filled the injection syringe with the blue liquid – all for the sake of experimenting, he'd risk the life of an unwilling another. He pierced the skin with the needle, forcing the liquid into Furihata's body.

"10. 30 pm, the serum is introduced into the subject's body. There is no immediate response from him. I will continue to watch the progress this week", the red haired male recorded his voice with his phone in the dark room with just the two of them.

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When Furihata woke up the next morning, his body felt light. Thankfully, he didn't suffer the usual hangover he'd have when he drank beyond his limit. He moved around the hall, stretching his arms and neck, feeling refreshed from sleeping on the sofa. Then, he glanced over at the bed where Akashi was sleeping.

It was then when Furihata whiffed an alluring scent in the air but he couldn't put his finger on the source. He let the phenomenon go and cleaned himself up. After a quick shower, he walked to the kitchen to grab the cup noodle in the cabinet. Ten minutes later, he returned from the kitchen to the living room and almost dropped the noodle in surprise to see Akashi sitting on the sofa in deep thought.

"A-Akashi-san, good morning. How was your night?" asked Furihata, the continuous flow of his speech amazed him. Until last night, he was a wimp but now, he found confidence in every words even when the person he was talking to was Akashi.

"I had a good sleep. Thank you for your hospitality", Akashi answered politely. Furihata confidently sat next to Akashi while holding tight on the cup noodle.

"I had a good rest too. Are you hungry, Akashi-san? I can go to Kuroko's house to get something", Furihata offered.

"Some light snacks will do".

"Okay!" Furihata beamed. He went to the kitchen to keep his noodle aside. When Furihata was gone, Akashi took out his phone. He clicked on the device to record his voice.

"The subject is overwhelmed by positive emotions. An astounding difference from the subject's attitude on the first day of my visit".

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"Kuroko, I'm hungry…." Furihata whined, his feet were hooked on the arm rest. Kuroko looked away from the book he was reading, an amused snort escaped him. Furihata had decided to spend his afternoon with Kuroko since Kagami had gone to his college to submit his assignment while Akashi had gone to his presentation meeting place.

"You just ate the cookies, Furihata-kun", said Kuroko evenly.

"I'm still hungry…"

"There are two slices of leftover apple pie in the refrigerator".

Furihata looked at him with puppy eyes. "Can I have both?"

"Yes, you may, Furihata-kun. You can have both".

"Thanks", Furihata rushed to the kitchen to grab the food. He ate the slices from the container while watching the game show. The new episode was funny, causing the brunet to laugh loudly with tears coming out at the corner of his eyes. When the show ended, Furihata changed the channel. His face flushed when a loud sound rumbled from his stomach. Kuroko looked up from his reading material.

"Eh… I'm hungry… again?" the brunet haired young man laughed nervously.

"We still have some leftover spaghetti from last night", Kuroko answered kindly with a small smile. If Furihata was hungry, there was no helping it. Kuroko really, really spoiled his friend too much.

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On the fourth night, Akashi woke up when he heard painful whimpers filled the studio apartment. The red haired man climbed out from his bed to check on Furihata. The said host was rolling on his stomach, moaning in pain at times, his shirt drenched with sweat. Akashi shook Furihata's shoulder to get his attention. Furihata opened his eyes, tears running down, leaving trail marks on his cheeks.

"Akashi-san", he whimpered, "it's painful".

"Which part?" asked Akashi. Furihata tapped his lower abdomen and his nether region. "Both… Both are painful", he whined. Akashi's face flushed in the dark. Was this one of the effect of the serum? How should he handle a situation where Furihata was under the influence?

He was too lost in his thought that Furihata lose his patience. He pushed Akashi down to the floor, instantly attacking the red haired male's lips, overwhelmed by Akashi's scent flitting inside the studio apartment. Akashi's own sanity was shoved to the back of his head; he returned the kiss just as furious.

"Akashi-san, I need release", the brunet haired male whimpered. The pain had surged when he was attending lecture- he almost collapsed when he was walking to the clinic to see a doctor. He had taken a day medical leave from the university's clinic and had gone home while enduring the pain on the way back. In the evening, he was bothered by another wave of problem – he suddenly felt horny. It was too painful for him to move to find a girl for him to find release and yet he needed one. The urge wasn't normal either – his thought was muddled by extreme neediness that his skin felt burnt.

Akashi being there was a convenient setting. Right then, Furihata could care less about the gender; he needed to scratch the need right away or he would lose his mind.

Akashi grabbed a handful of his buttocks, squeezing it lightly. "Take it off", he said breathily. The brunet haired boy obeyed, unzipping his jeans and ridding it to the side. The other male ran his hand on Furihata's erected member sensually.

"Do you want me to touch this, Kouki?" Akashi looked at him with a smirk.

"Y-Yess… Ah, your hands… they're cold". Akashi slipped his hands inside Furihata's boxer, grabbing both the member and the balls, fondling and moving his hand on the shaft. Furihata almost bit his tongue when he felt a jolt travelled down his spine.

"A-Akashi-san, faster", the other demanded. Akashi increased his pace but Furihata showed no sign of releasing his load. The length throbbed in his hands painfully; Akashi gulped, temptation to touch Furihata more boarded his mind.

"Why… I'm not coming…" Furihata sobbed. Akashi gulped at the sight, switching their positions with a single flip. Their faces were so close to each other, lips almost touching. Furihata felt his heart thumped loudly against his rib cage, his own sexual urge scratching violently at the window of his mind.

"Maybe, you need something more than just a hand job", Akashi whispered suggestively. Furihata was sane enough to remember his 'straightness' but Akashi's seductive tone had sealed his decision to indulge in the moment against his stronghold belief.

"Akashi-san", Furihata whimpered, tugging the hem of Akashi's shirt to give him the permission. Until the pain and the perverted urge subsided, Furihata's reasoning was completely dulled that he had, in his fuzzy mind, allowed Akashi to do his worst. Akashi took off the other's boxer with one clean movement, his eyes ogling at the twitching hole. He inserted his first finger, searching for the prostate keenly. Sleeping with men wasn't a new territory to him. Over the years, he had experimented with a few men, doing dirty things like what he was doing to Furihata. As long as the sex was good, he had no complaint.

Furihata gasped when Akashi's finger brushed against his prostate, his toes jerking at the sensation. Akashi probed the second finger, making scissoring motion to stretch the hole wider. "Do you have oil?" The red haired male asked.

"In the drawer… hand cream…Ahn", Akashi chuckled at the broken string of sentence, pressing on the prostate once before standing up to grab the hand cream bottle. When he returned, he was greeted by the sight of Furihata pleasuring himself with his own fingers.

"N-Not enough…. Hngh", he whined sulkily. Akashi went over to the young adult, adding his own fingers into Furihata's hole. One of Furihata's finger was close to his pleasure spot- Akashi used his own finger to apply more force on the spot.

"N-Noo…. Ha… Too much", the brunet haired boy moaned. Akashi took out his finger and covered his hands with the hand cream. He prepared Furihata's entrance, in the meantime masturbating at the sight before him. The other boy shivered at the coldness. The fingers were then replaced with something bigger and longer, sending uncontrollable shivers throughout the smaller man's body. Furihata pushed himself upwards to get a better view of the object inserted into his hole, his eyes widening when he saw half of Akashi's member embedded inside him.

"Akashi-san, take it out. Take … ahhh", his demand was stopped short when the red haired man thrust into him.

"Too deep!" Furihata cried when Akashi filled him in to the hilt. "Deep… is good, Kouki", Akashi whispered, bucking his hips as he rammed wildly into Furihata. The boy underneath him couldn't focus his eyes as sparkles of white spaces entered his vision. His moan escaped his mouth at each hit, his brain melted to the pleasure. Akashi angled to where the prostate was and aimed for the spot repeatedly. His grin widened when Furihata couldn't stop the dripping of pre-cum from flowing out of his tips.

"I-I'm coming. Ahhh, Akashi-san", the smaller male cried. White fluid spilled onto his abdomen, his rectum wall clenching tightly around Akashi's member, milking the white fluid out from him. Akashi trembled after his climax while Furihata had fainted from the intensity. The red haired young man took out his member, lying on his back to catch his breath.

He fished for his phone in his pocket, his night track suit lowered to his knee. He pressed the red record button, saying, "The subject has fainted after being exposed to intense lustful emotion and pain".

He stopped the recording and grinned to himself in the dark, muttering, "That was great".

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A week passed by in a blink of the eyes. Akashi said his farewell to Kagami, Kuroko and Furihata, his behavior changing from one person to another. With Kagami, a cold treatment was given- their relationship had always been a strained neck to neck one since high school. With Kuroko, he gave his appreciation speech, thanking Kuroko in every possible ways. When it was Furihata's turn to be thanked to, there was only silence. No resentment, no comfort, no apology. Just plain silence.

Furihata fidgeted in discomfort. There was nothing to exchange in between them at all. He had been avoiding Akashi after the night they had slept together, putting a blame on himself for starting something that could've been prevented. If only he had properly kept himself in check, he wouldn't have suffered awkwardness like now. They could've been friends for all he knew and he just blew the opportunity away with… sex.

"Thank you for having me over", Akashi said after a while. Furihata nodded, looking everywhere else but Akashi.

"I will take my leave", Akashi announced to the rest of the group.

"Take good care of yourself, Akashi-kun", said Kuroko. Akashi carried his luggage and headed for the awaiting car. When the car was out of his sight, Furihata sighed in regret. He felt a heavy heart but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Furihata put his hands in his pocket and looked up to the sky.

"I'll forget in due time. It's just a mistake", he said to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Heya, this is an update for you guys~ Thank you for the reviews! And yup, please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything**

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**Chapter 2: The flaw of the nature**

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The motorbike helmet sat in the arm of the teal haired university student who was on his way to the parking place. The parking lot was vacant from anyone but himself – most of the residence had gone to work earlier in the morning while he who attended the afternoon class, had just found the need to leave his house premise. Thus the lonely parking lot.

Kuroko pressed the button to lower his motorbike that was parked on the second level of the four story parking to the ground. He unlocked the key and pushed the vehicle to the gate. There, he waited for the arrival of his broke friend/neighbor patiently next to his motorbike. Kagami had gone to his college as early as seven to attend his nine o'clock class, an important class he couldn't miss. He had to catch an early train or he'd be late and marked as absent which was a big of a deal to him because his relationship with the lecturer would determine his grade at the end of every semester. The teal haired young adult checked his watch. Eleven and a half. Usually, Furihata would be coming down around the time Kuroko had finished unlocking the motorbike.

The brunet haired young man sure was late today...

Kuroko decided to check on his friend, knocking his door lightly as soon as he arrived in front of Furihata's studio apartment. There was no response and it troubled Kuroko a little. He took out the spare key Furihata had given him for emergency cases and entered the apartment.

"Furihata-kun?" he called out loud enough but not too loud to the point it was intrusive. He saw a mountain of blanket on the bed piling up on top of something (he couldn't really tell in the dark). He approached closer with curiosity after turning on the light, grabbing the end of the lowest layer to see what's underneath. Buried underneath the mountain of blankets was Furihata, his lips dried and his skin paled.

Kuroko kept his calm intact, going to the kitchen to take a glass of water and returned to help Furihata drink. He shook the young man awake, helping him to sit up and tipped the glass on the brunet haired male's lips. The teal haired young man winced when he felt how burned up Furihata was. He let the other to lie down on his bed, covering the said young man with a blanket while removing the excessive ones.

He took out his phone to call a friend from university, explaining their absence and how he'd have to sit out the meeting after class for his assignment. He had to skip the lectures today too- Furihata wasn't in a condition where he could leave him be to heal. Kuroko dialed Kagami's number after he hung up the call with his classmate and the phone was answered after the third dial tone.

"Kuroko?" Kagami asked, panicky. Various scenarios ran through his mind, with many of his assumptions simulating closely a scene from a blockbuster movie.

"This is indeed me, Kagami-kun".

"Where are you?"

"I'm still at home… In Furihata-kun's apartment. He is very ill. Can you make it back before four to bring him to the clinic?" asked Kuroko, glancing over at his bed ridden friend.

"I'm going home now. My class just ended. I'll be there in two hours", answered Kagami worriedly.

"Thank you, Kagami-kun. Love you".

Kuroko pocketed his phone and at the same time checking Furihata's temperature with the back of his free hand. Furihata pried his eyes open weakly to see Kuroko but as soon as he woke up, he shot up in a sitting position as if he was electrocuted, his left hand desperately searching for the empty pail he had placed next to the bed the night before. He heaved into the bucket; clear liquid came out from his mouth. Kuroko rubbed Furihata's back soothingly in circular motion, his eyebrows now knitted together when the other boy threw up the water he had drunk. When the heaving diminished, Furihata feebly tried to get out of his bed to clean the pail but Kuroko took the pail and offered his help instead.

Once Kuroko had cleaned the pail, he kept it at the bed side. Kuroko observed the state of said friend -Furihata's breathing pattern was frantic, his hair wet from the sweat and his cheeks lost their usual rosy color. He went back to the bathroom to fill the bath tub with water and closed the tap when the tub was half empty. Then, he returned to Furihata's side to help him walk to the bathroom.

"Furihata-kun, you should take a bath. Let's get you cleaned up", said Kuroko, helping Furihata out of the bed. Furihata looked fine during the lecture yesterday. To suddenly see him as sickly as this, Kuroko felt panic he had been repressing surfacing.

"Did you eat expired food yesterday, Furihata-kun?" asked Kuroko once he had assisted Furihata to get into the bath tub. He kept watch from the toilet seat to make sure the other man stayed awake. In a normal situation, it would've been embarrassing to watch other people taking a bath but right now, the only thing lingering in his mind was Furihata's safety.

"No, I didn't", Furihata stated weakly.

"Did you stay outside in the rain last night?"

"I was inside the whole time last night".

"When did you get sick like this then?"

"About a few days back…I started feeling sick two days after Akashi-san returned to Kyoto, hurling every morning but it had never gotten this bad", Furihata said, his face touching the marble surface of the tub.

"We will go to the clinic after Kagami-kun returns home", Kuroko said decisively.

Kagami came back two hours later as promised. He dropped his bag at their apartment, taking out his wallet before going to Furihata's apartment. Kagami kindly offered a piggyback-ride to Furihata on the way to the closest family clinic when he saw that Furihata couldn't walk steadily even with Kuroko's support. The doctor had prescribed the sickly young man with medicine after the appointment, assuring them that it was just a normal stomach flu. For the night, Kagami and Kuroko took turn to watch over Furihata to make sure nothing would happen to him.

That night, Furihata had dreamed something bizarre that made his heart raced. In his dream, he was on a hospital bed, his stomach ballooning to a size of three basketball balls put together. In the corner of the hospital room, Akashi stood, his glare piercing Furihata's soul like a knife through a radish. Furihata panicked, thoughts of escaping rang in his head but his body refused to follow his orders to move – to run away from Akashi. Then, a green haired doctor entered the room with a scalpel.

"It's time to take out the little mutant", the doctor resembling Midorima said, lamp light glinted on the metal surface eerily. Furihata woke up screaming after that. Though his body was feeling better from the medicine, his mental state was almost breaking from just the dream alone.

"Furihata-kun, you'll be alright. It's just a nightmare", he heard Kuroko soothing him. After that, Furihata was too afraid to sleep that he had stayed awake for the next two nights. This worried both Kagami and Kuroko. The two of them had tried to get the young man to sleep even if it was just a short nap but Furihata furiously refused them, scared that he would dream weird dreams again. His appetite was trailing behind too since throwing up had become a regular regimen that it would be bearable if he gave up on food entirely instead of trying to swallow any.

"We should try calling a doctor to come and prescribe sleeping medicine", suggested Kagami while they were at the kitchen one day.

"I am against sleeping drug prescription, Kagami-kun. We cannot have Furihata-kun become reliance on such a thing".

"What are we supposed to do then? Watch him die due to depression?"

"I don't know, Kagami-kun. I am facing a wall too right now", Kuroko heaved a sigh. He filled the bowl with the chicken porridge, bringing it to Furihata who was staring outside of the window dazedly.

"Furihata-kun, please eat something. Anymore refusal from you and I will be forced to feed you against your will", said Kuroko. Furihata looked at the bowl grimly. Slowly, he took the first bite and waited for a few seconds. When nothing happened, he ate the porridge gratefully, happily tasting the food he had missed so much.

"I –hic-can eat now. I can eat now. Eep", he sobbed pathetically, appreciating the explosive flavor of food in his mouth.

"Furihata, we should get you to the hospital. Do you know how you look right now? Like a corpse! Even corpses are prettier! You make us worry and we don't want to see you suffer like this", Kagami said convincingly. Furihata nodded in agreement as he ate his meal portion. He wanted the days to return to the good old days when he was still peachy. He hoped that his condition was nothing serious to grieve over.

In the evening after dinner, Kagami and Kuroko escorted the said young man to the nearest hospital after stopping a taxi at the main road. Once they registered Furihata's medical panel at the registration counter, they waited with the other patients until it was their turn to enter the doctor's room. Kagami had almost shrieked when he saw the face of the doctor they were meeting.

Dr. Midorima too wore the same shocked expression. Of all the people to run into, it had to be his two rivals in his past. Furihata sported a pale face when he saw the same doctor he had seen in his dream. The flashes of the dream came haunting him, stopping him dead in his track as fear inhibited him from coming any closer to Midorima.

"Good evening, Midorima-kun", said Kuroko after coddling with their brief reunion sentiment.

"You! What are you doing here?" Kagami pointed rudely at Midorima.

"I am the doctor in charge. Kuroko, take a seat. You too, fool", he pointed in Kagami's direction just as rudely while pushing his glasses up his nose bridge.

"You are just twenty-one! Are you sure you are qualified for this?" Kagami was in utter disbelief – the Generation of Miracles had proven themselves _the_miracles through their studies and dreams too. Take for example: Kise and his modelling career, Aomine and his NBA recruit, Akashi and his Biotechnology Master soon to be PhD, Murasakibara and his five star French restaurant and the person right before him, Midorima and his medical qualification at the age of twenty-one. The only one who was still honing after degree certifications was Kuroko and Kagami. (In Kuroko's case, becoming a lawyer was a long process so there was no helping it but to do things step by step).

"Do not fret. I have been certified to examine and to dissect people. Now, where are you feeling unwell, Kuroko?"

"I'm not the patient, Midorima-kun. Furihata-kun is the one that needs your treatment", Kuroko addressed Furihata who was frozen stiff at the door.

"Right, Furihata. Please take a seat at the examination table", he called to the said young man who took a reluctant step to the examination table. He sat on top of it, facing Midorima while looking at the young doctor in horror.

"So, what is your problem?" Midorima asked professionally. When a giggle erupted from Kagami, he grabbed his wooden fox sculpture adorning his desk (Aquarius's lucky item of the day) and threw it at Kagami, smirking when he heard a satisfying oomph. Midorima tugged his white robe smugly and turned his attention back at the said patient.

"Please, don't mind the interruption", the green haired doctor excused himself.

"I… I have been sick for some time", Furihata mumbled nervously.

"Tell me in more detail", urged Midorima firmly. "I won't be able to discern your sickness going by 'I have been sick' statement".

"W… Well…" Furihata trailed off. He wasn't sure how to explain the sickness to Midorima. Meeting a doctor always made him stumbled with his words.

Kuroko, seeing the troubled expression Furihata was making, spoke. "Furihata-kun had been throwing up for more than a week. He had a strong fever just a few days ago and he can barely eat anything without hurling".

"It might be due to upset stomach. Lift your shirt", Midorima ordered. Furihata pulled the hem up, letting Midorima press the cold stethoscope on his belly. At first, Midorima looked thoughtful as he listened closely to any sign that could indicate Furihata's sickness but he couldn't find any clue that would help his deduction on the sickness type. In his opinion, Furihata's digestive system was in a good condition but he knew better than immediately jumping into such conclusion. He took off his stethoscope, writing a note on the patient report with clumsy handwriting.

"I will do a full medical checkup, including the blood test", Midorima said after a while. The young doctor who was acknowledged for his skill, Midorima, didn't doubt his ability to accurately detect any sickness and the only reason why he couldn't figure the sickness out was because of the lack of important evidence. He rang for the nurse to bring in the syringe and needle- his only option was to do additional testing, something that he'd like to avoid if possible because of the additional cost.

Furihata fidgeted in his seat nervously. He wasn't scared of needle but for the doctor to suggest a blood test, what kind of sickness had he contracted? When Midorima received the needle and syringe from the nurse, he tapped the brunet's wrist, carefully piercing his vein pipe, so carefully that Furihata didn't feel any pain at all. The blood taking process was done so gracefully that Furihata didn't even realize the young doctor had pulled the needle out.

He even gave Furihata a beaker to pee in, directing him to give his urine sample to a specific counter number at the reception.

"Come back to see me in three days. I will give you your test result".

Kuroko thanked Midorima while Kagami grumbled about the bad customer service they were subjected to. Midorima shrugged Kagami's complains off; it was Kagami's fault that the fox sculpture came flying at him. He reaped what he sow, right? Why blame it on Midorima then?

Kuroko ended up jabbing Kagami's abdomen to shut him up after he had had enough of his boyfriend's complains. They returned straight home after the doctor visit, all the while pondering and worrying about the sickness that would be declared by the test result.

* * *

Furihata attended classes normally the day after the visit to the hospital. He didn't look as sickly anymore and the number of visits to the washroom had also reduced drastically. The brunet haired male started eating normally again but he had shown a frightening rate of improvement in his studies instead. He had scored well in the recent quizzes, owning up the ass of the best student in their year in terms of quiz mark. For the first time, Kuroko and Kagami were amazed at the brunet's sudden achievements.

"Did you become smart after the fever or something?" Kagami asked when they were walking to the grocery stores to buy the hot pot ingredient to celebrate Furihata's recovery. The temperature of the night had dropped from its previous reading, chill biting their exposed skins as they walked back to their apartment building. Winter was always cold and dry in Osaka, unlike any other places in Japan- one could get dry skin if you stayed too long outside in the cold.

"Furihata-kun must have been hiding his potential for quite some time now. I envy you", Kuroko admitted his jealousy, albeit teasingly.

"Eh, I'm not that smart. Really", Furihata modestly denied. The fact was, he too was in awe with the sudden change on how he can easily understand the studying materials. It made him doubt himself a little – what had changed since the sickly days?

"Ah, I can't wait to eat the hot pot", Kagami said longingly, his mind occupied with images of the said dish. Kuroko nodded in agreement and once they were cozily surrounded by walls and nestled up around a heater table, Kagami brought out their sacred electrical stove, plugging it to the socket and warming up the stainless steel pot on top of the stove. He poured in the gravy, bringing the temperature up to a boiling point before dumping the ingredients inside the gravy.

While waiting for the ingredients to soften, Kuroko went on Skype to talk to Kise who had moved to America with Aomine. Kise was pursuing his modelling career while Aomine was working hard in his pursuit to become a top notch NBA player. Both of them enjoyed staying in America together. It made Kuroko wished he could go there too.

When the food was ready, Furihata ate the beef happily, enjoying the flattering taste of such delicacy. He was overwhelmed by happiness that he cried his eyes out while eating. "Uuuhhh… this beef is deli-hic-cious". The other two stared at him, dumbfounded, unable to comprehend the reason why Furihata was crying over food. It was perfectly understandable to appreciate the food with praises but to shed tears over it? That was definitely weird.

"You see, it's a difficult life to be a cow. Hic. I mean – sob- they worked hard eating grasses to get fat and be slaughtered because – hic- it's their job to feed us human".

"We know that, Furihata-kun", Kuroko said, not sure if he should reply to Furihata's out of the blue statement.

"Y-You don't understand, don't you? Where is your humanity, Kuroko?" Furihata asked, blaming Kuroko for being insensitive to animal rights.

"I'm aware of the existence of such rights. I am studying law after all", Kuroko stated calmly.

"T-Then you have to protect the animals, alright?" he waited for Kuroko to make a promise (with fingers crossing underneath the heater table) before shrugging the topic off and ate more beef. Kuroko brushed off the bizarre situation just now and ate his portion quietly. Tomorrow, Furihata's result would come out and Midorima would be ready with either good news or bad news.

Kuroko prepared himself to hear the worst news.

* * *

Midorima let out a sigh. The paper in his hand was given to him in his box earlier in the morning and since it was the first to arrive, he had read it thoroughly word to word and he still couldn't fathom the result no matter how many times he went over it. Furihata, a full fledge male was diagnosed with pregnancy. What kind of a joke was this? He had gone to the laboratory to clear out the mistake but the assistants and their manager had shouted at him for doubting the result that had been tested by the best medical laboratory team in Japan. They had no reason to scorn his career, so he to theirs, and thus, the only thing he was allowed to ever say to the testing team was "I believe your result is accurate". He sidestepped from the argument while thinking about a subtle way to reveal the result to his patient.

Around two in the afternoon, Kuroko had paid him a visit with Furihata. When the two people sat in their respective places, Midorima crossed his arms while looking directly ahead in front of him. He let the silence settled in the room, unable to produce even a simple 'nanodayo'.

"C-Can we know the result, doctor?" asked Furihata curiously.

"Hmph. I can but you won't like hearing about the result", said Midorima.

"Is the sickness serious, Midorima-kun?"

"Hardly but possibly life threatening. Before I explain everything, I would like to make an announcement that our medical team is the best in Japan. The test result is 100% accurate _even_ if it sounds faulty".

"Eh, am I going to die, doctor?"

"Not at the moment but like I said, the situation can become life-threatening but that doesn't mean you won't survive through it".

Kuroko clenched his fist. "Midorima-kun, I appreciate it if you become direct instead of beating around the bush".

"Curiosity… is a curious thing. Very well. I will show you the result", Midorima passed the paper to Kuroko and Furihata. He watched Kuroko's eyes widened while Furihata was bordering between seriousness and laughter – somewhat finding the test result ridiculous.

"Midorima-kun, please be more serious. We'd like to know the actual condition".

"That is your actual condition, Furihata, Kuroko. If the matter is a joke, I'd be laughing so hard by now until I collapse to the floor but when I paid the visit to reaffirm the test result, I was told that there hadn't been a mistake in the result. The result shows that you **are** pregnant, Furihata. And that ridicules the nature's law".

"But I am a man. How can a man get knocked up?" Furihata stopped laughing, his demeanor changing to a serious one.

"For me, there are two possibilities. The first one being that you are indeed pregnant and the second one being the result is faulty. My only advice to you is to have a regular checkup every week. We will check on the progress and supervise the growth – if it gets too complicated, we will figure a way around it. However, if the test result was the one that was faulty, I will find a way to compensate such ridiculousness".

The brunet haired man bit the bottom of his lips. If that was the reality of his situation, wouldn't that make him a freak of nature? But he could always be in denial, right? And he was sure it was the test result that was inaccurate- his gender should be taken into consideration, no?

Without realizing it, he was hurting another being's feeling. And that being lied dormant inside the newly constructed uterus in Furihata's body.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yosh~ Another update ~ Thanks for the reviews. XD It was nice to read it all. Anyway, please enjoy. Oh, and btw... I've made correction on the previous chapter about blood test and urine test. I replaced it with full medical checkups that includes all. I'd like to thank meg clover 9 (sorry about this. FFNet didn't allow consecutive dots). for this. XD Okay. Ciao. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Over the food **

* * *

He must have been dreaming again. He was in a room but it was a different room and not his usual studio apartment. Bright light blinded his vision- he brought his hands to his face, his eyelids fluttering to filter the exposure. Where was this place and what was he doing there? Looking down at his stomach, he saw the dreaded bulge. Something inside him was alive and kicking- he could feel the movement of the object as if it was his own body parts. Perhaps it was. He felt bile threatening to come up to his throat.

The kicking became more apparent against his skin- he could see the shape of tiny feet poking on his abdomen lining. _It hurts!_ He winced as the movements steadily increased in frequency. Furihata placed his hand onto his stomach, asking it to stop, begging it to just erase itself from his inside and he felt the shape of a hand touching back gently- almost sadly. Another heartbeat resounded in him. Another heartbeat that wasn't his.

During breakfast, the brunet haired man recalled the dream as he spooned the cereal into his mouth. Guilt recoiled together with his thoughts, the dream had been too constant for him to brush it off as just another bad dream. There was nothing nightmarish about it; if anything, it had the melancholic vibes to it.

He recalled back his visits in the past seven weeks. There hadn't been other signs that he was pregnant other than a few symptoms that could've been diagnosed as stomach flu. This week marked the eight and a half weeks if he was supposed to be pregnant. Midorima said that they should at least continue the check up until the tenth weeks. If there was really nothing, then Furihata would be released from the medical checkups.

"Why does he look distant?" asked Kagami, eating his own cereal while having a questioning look on. Ever since the first doctor visit, the brunet haired male had been too depressing to be around with. The only person that hadn't been told about the pregnancy was Kagami. Hence, it was understandable why the red haired male was irked by the mood. At first, Kuroko had wanted to share the result with his lover but Furihata was afraid that Kagami would start hating him and it wasn't like the result was affirmative. Respecting Furihata's decision (and even though Kuroko knew Kagami was not the type to hate people over silly reasons), they had kept the secret to themselves, Midorima included.

"A lot of things had happened in these past few weeks, Kagami-kun".

"Oh, the checkups? Is he sick or something?"

"Something of that nature, Kagami-kun", said Kuroko, finishing the last bite of his cereal.

"Oh, makes me wonder about it".

Kuroko knew how it felt like to be left out but he assured Kagami that when Furihata was ready, he'd share the result with Kagami. The red haired man had to be patient and took Furihata's feelings into consideration – he reminded Kagami that every time the topic was brought up.

That evening, Furihata returned from the regular checkup looking terrified. The brunet haired man had gone to the hospital on his own, leaving Kuroko out of the matter since the problem was his alone. When he got home, he had enveloped himself with the blanket, hugging himself closely as he played Midorima's words in his head over and over again when the Fetal Doppler ultrasound was pressed against his abdomen.

"_There it is, the heartbeat". _

Midorima hadn't probed Furihata about the father of the child- the rights to reveal the other parent's identity belonged to the said patient. Furihata didn't want to comment about it either since he knew about Midorima's connection to Akashi. He recalled the memory of the night he had pushed Akashi down. It was his fault – he was the one attacking after all and Akashi was just going with the flow. The flow that Furihata had initiated.

He had been straight (and still was) but now, because of that one mistake, a consequence occurred in the ugliest form. That one night stand had been the origin of this development, a development he could do without. How was he supposed to know that he had the ability to bear a child when he had lived his life as a normal man throughout his twenty-one years roaming the planet? And to sum it all, the one that got him into the situation didn't even know he was going to become a father.

There was also the option of abortion suggested by Midorima.

Furihata, a kind soul by nature, didn't even consider abortion as an option. When Midorima talked to him about it, Furihata had strongly disagree, believing that the right to take another's life was not his. However, he was hesitant about keeping it too. Maybe, he should hand the baby to an adoption center when he gave labor to it. There were no promises that the process would go smoothly – the risk was too high. If he died, someone had to take care of the baby. If he lived, he'd still say goodbye to the baby so that he'd find a place where he could live a normal life, surrounded by normal family members.

"I'm so lost right now I don't know what I should do", he mumbled. He shoved the blanket to the side and slipped into his outdoor shoes. After locking the door, the said man went to Kuroko's apartment, gloominess seeping his every being. The teal haired young adult let him in. Kagami was in the kitchen making dinner – he was so used to Furihata's presence in their apartment that he always cooked a little too many for three people. He made red tea and sat the cups down on the heater table- the chicken was still on the grill being cooked. Furihata added a sugar cube, stirring the tea gently.

"There's a heartbeat", Furihata mumbled almost too quietly. Kuroko blinked in confusion- what had happened during the doctor visit?

"A heartbeat?" was all the teal haired boy could muster as a response. Kagami who had just walked in with mango pudding was also confused by Furihata's declaration.

"The pregnancy is real, Kuroko. I don't know what to do now", the young adult broke down – he had been meaning to since the moment he got home but he couldn't uncap the lid alone. He needed to talk about it to someone who would listen. Needed to hear comforting words. Needed to know if there would be someone backing him up – that he wasn't going to be abandoned with a child he had yet to see for himself.

"What's this about pregnancy?" asked Kagami, much to his puzzlement. Did Furihata accidentally impregnate someone? Kuroko's gaze met with Kagami's own, secretly hinting that he would explain the situation later. For now, let the teal haired man handled the situation. After all, Kuroko was familiar with handling people's emotion, certainly the reason why he insisted on studying law.

"Are you going to keep it?" asked Kuroko carefully.

"Yes, I am going to because I can't kill. I don't have the heart to and I hate myself for being this emotionally weak". Kuroko pulled the crying young man into a hug, tapping his back as he lent his shoulder for the other to lean on. He knew that it was just the hormone talking on Furihata's part.

Displaying positive support would help to ease Furihata's anxiety, he reckon. "I'll be supporting your decision, Furihata-kun".

"I-I hic I know".

"Have faith. I'm sure you can get through this. Kagami and I will protect you no matter what happened".

He smiled when Furihata nodded against his shoulder. They would_ really_ be expecting a baby now. Another question popped up in the back of his mind.

Just who was the father to the baby?

* * *

Akashi scribbled the statistical reading onto the paper. For now, he had only seen failures when the serum was tested on the mice – the serum that was supposed to allow the recreation of a womb inside a person no matter the gender. If the animal testing was a failure, he couldn't see the future of success on human either. He had come close to a successful result once but the womb disintegrated after only three days. Pitiful creature had also suffered the consequence but Akashi had little to feel about animals he had the serum tested on.

He had given the serum to a human once, about two month ago. A man to be more precise. Usually, if the serum was a failure on animals, it wouldn't even work when it comes to actual people but the serum had shown him quite some interesting after effects. Positive feelings, lustful emotions… Ah, it could have been mistaken as an aphrodisiac or an anti-depressant drug.

Another mouse met its ending. Akashi picked the mouse by its tail and threw it into the lab waste disposal bin. He took off his gloves, retreating from the study for the day. The time for the company's meeting was fast approaching. Besides his studies, there was also his father's company. While studying was done for leisure purpose, the business world was the place where the Shogi Champion found challenges, be it the underground world or the legal company that stood on the surface.

He discarded the white lab coat in the dirty lab coat's pile- the cleaner would pick it up later- he really didn't have to worry much about hygiene. Not that anyone could hold him against the rule since he owned the laboratory and his words were law. His chauffeur was already waiting in front of the laboratory's waiting area- the door was readily open for him. Akashi set his right leg over his left leg, comfortably seated in the roomy passenger's seat. He arrived shortly at the company's main building where his workers had made a line to greet him at his arrival.

As the vice president of the Akashi Corporation, the red haired man walked in the posture of a dominant business rival. The building was a prominent exhibition of the Akashi family's power, adorned by gleaming tiles and statues sculptured by famous artists, a feat that a dirt small company could only bear witness to. Behind him, the voices of his employees trailed, all welcoming him to the company that had been backing up Japan's economy for decades.

Inside the meeting room, his father and a few other faces he had come to know in the two years he joined the company had waited for his arrival. Akashi sat down in his chair, the meeting started at his arrival. Truthfully, the one that had the most control over the company's movement was Akashi himself, not his father. The son outwitting the father was a common affair in the business world. Let your guard down and your power would be taken away. He let his father kept his presidential seat but behind the scene, the one that was pulling the strings was always Akashi.

The meeting ended with Akashi's agreement on buying seventy percent of the Triumph Airlines- with the market price cut off to fifty percent, Akashi saw a profitable outcome from the agreement. A new brand name had already been decided by the marketing team – Akashi remembered signing the proposal a few days ago. Once the company meeting ended, there were only three people who remained – Akashi, his father and a shareholder of Akashi's company by a mere five percent but perhaps the most influential congress member in the political world. The man, Jun Higashi, was there to discuss about a joining- not a company base but a marriage between the young vice-president and his daughter.

"I've taken a liking to your son, Akashi-dono", said Higashi.

"He's a _fine _young man indeed", his father replied, his tone dripping with a masked hatred that only Akashi could recognize. Ever since the power shift, the president of the Akashi Company had been talking to his own son bitterly. Akashi disregarded the hatred directed to him, looking out of the glass window to appreciate the view from the tenth floor.

"I have a proposal to make", Higashi said, slapping the table lightly with an excited expression. "You know that I own shares that matter the most, right, Akashi-dono? And my wings in the underground world is second to yours."

"We are aware of that", said Akashi's father.

"Why don't we join my daughter and your son together and become the most fearsome power in Japan, perhaps the whole world?"

"A good idea indeed. So, how about it, Seijuurou?" the president looked at his son. Akashi's father knew when to take his voice away – even if Akashi was the one running the company in the background, in the foreground, his father held the control over his personal life decision. However, it wasn't a joining that would cause losses. There was always the laboratory when he needed a peace of his mind. He didn't have to be loyal to his domestic life – such had been exhibited by his parents in his upbringing.

"Do whatever you want", the young Akashi answered, no longer having interest in the conversation. He left after saying his farewell (not an honest one either), heading straight to his office. He took off the necktie, feeling unnerved by his father's attempt to control him. Feeling rather suffocated by the political bind he had just agreed on, he took out his phone to call one of the contacts in his phone, his stress reliever on a speed dial.

"Come to my office now. In fifteen minutes".

* * *

Kagami had his face plastered on the screen, scrolling down the webpage in his mission to understand about nutrition for a pregnant mother. So far, he had learnt that Salmon, eggs, vegetables… the list went on, were food advisable to be included in pregnancy's diet. A few recipes had been included into his must try list- all of them contained all the vitamins, proteins… whatever the body needs. Studying to become a nutritionist himself, Kagami was a particular person when looking after another person's wellbeing through food.

"Does Salmon Bulgogi sounds good to you?" he shouted from the bedroom to ask the opinion of the other two diners. The entrance was left open to allow Kuroko to walk in anytime and also to allow direct communication without having to walk all the way to the living room.

"Sounds great, Kagami-kun", Kuroko replied from the living room. Meanwhile, he was reading through a pregnancy book to learn more about the emotional perks of a pregnant mother. Furihata was just sitting on the sofa stuffing his face with hazelnut cookies that had made to the top of his favorite food list. He watched the couple working hard to understand his situation – he was touched by their effort that he cried.

"Kuroko- hic, thank you", he sobbed while stuffing his face with more cookies. One thing Kuroko had learnt in the past two weeks after the confirmation of the brunet's pregnancy was Furihata would cry over anything heartfelt when he had his mouth stuffed with food that he liked the most (Actually, if he remembered correctly, this behavior had actually been displayed since the earlier stage of Furihata's pregnancy). Aside from hazelnut cookies, other favored food by the brunet haired male were beef, strawberry flavored milk, vanilla cupcakes and honey coated lemon, food that Kuroko had dubbed as the sensitive topics food. It was funny the first time it happened but after seeing it recurrently, it became rather… annoying.

"Furihata-kun, we're doing this because we love you and you don't have to cry about it", he said, using the overused line again to stop Furihata's waterworks.

"O-hic-Okay".

Kagami had taken the news about the pregnancy rather well too. In fact, he was probably the most excited, shouting happily that he was going to be an uncle on the night Kuroko had explained about Furihata's condition to the red haired man. Kuroko had seen Kagami bookmarking webpages about babies and baby costumes – it made him feel slightly jealous that Furihata was able to bear a baby when he couldn't. Nevertheless, Kuroko was glad that neither of them held contempt against Furihata's against the nature pregnancy.

The Salmon Bulgogi tasted delicious and had somehow made onto Furihata's favorite food list. Kuroko kept the food list so that he knew when he could have a serious talk without Furihata crying a river. Once the dinner was over, Kuroko escorted Furihata to his apartment, reminding him to call if he needed anything. When he got back to his own apartment, Kagami was already waiting for him on the bed. The red haired man, lying on his back, patted the vacant side of the bed, signaling the other to come over and slept next to him. When Kuroko lied down next to him, Kagami turned to face Kuroko, caressing the teal haired male's cheek gently.

"What are you doing, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked with a small smile.

"Just appreciating the view", Kagami said. He pretended to remove his hand, then sneakily attacking the lips of his shadow, hovering above the other and trapping Kuroko underneath him. Kuroko tilted his head to allow better access, responding to Kagami's kiss passionately. He held onto Kagami's shoulder to pull him closer. It had been quite a while since Kagami had been this fervent in his romantic approaches.

"Taiga-kun", he whispered Kagami's name when the other pulled back from the kiss. Kagami ran his tongue down Kuroko's neck and once he had chosen the spot to leave a mark, he worked on leaving a hickey on the meeting point of Kuroko's neckline and shoulder line. Kuroko repressed his voice and when the pain grew into pleasure, he bit his own hand to further stop the moan from escaping his lips. Kagami licked his lips after he completed his mission, pleased with the hickey he had left on the pale skin.

"This is going to be obvious tomorrow if you don't wear a turtleneck sweater", said Kagami teasingly.

"Hmph, Kagami-kun is such a bully".

"But you don't hate it. Too bad that we have classes. I would've loved it if I could ravish you tonight".

"I would like to walk properly when attending my lectures, Kagami-kun. Though the weekend would be another story".

"I'll take that offer up. This", Kagami squeezed Kuroko's bottom lightly, "will be mine on this Friday night".

Kuroko let his chuckle slipped. "I'll be waiting for it".

* * *

Furihata wrote the last annotation for the corpse's image onto his own printed slides. The lecture had been going on smoothly- he was looking forward to get back home to take a short nap on his comfortable bed. While he was packing his belongings, a woman in red casual dress walked down the lecture room, stopping at the end of the fixed lecture room table, the row where he was currently standing at.

Furihata gazed at the said woman, his nose scrunched at the sight of his ex-girlfriend. "Furihata-san!" the girl, a year younger than him, raised her pitch when she called his name. It was cute before but it seemed the baby he was carrying hated that kind of fake shrilling voice. The brunet haired male scrunched his nose in distaste again, portraying the feeling of the fetal inside him.

"What is it?" he asked in a harsh tone.

"Furihata-san, my baby! Please come back to me!"

"What? Did that boyfriend of yours leave you already?"

"Come on, baby! Forgive me please? I love you more than the guy! I can't forget about you so we must be together now!"

Furihata groaned in frustration. He knew her and her fake adoration- whenever she needed help, the first person she would go to was Furihata because he was an easy man to be taken advantage of. Despite having the baby to care for, Furihata's good will won him over rationality.

"Let's talk about this over some drinks. You like cake too right? We'll talk over that too", Furihata said, walking in front of his ex-girlfriend. She followed him with happy bounce in her steps and once they were seated in a hidden corner of a café, he asked blatantly, "What do you want help with, Higashi-chan?"

"Aw, baby, don't be so cold to me. You can call me Naomi like you used to".

"If you don't talk now, I'll leave", Furihata said firmly. Higashi pouted but when the cake platter was put in front of her, she dug in ecstatically. She squealed at the delicate softness of the said cake, her body shaking at the delightful taste. Once she had finished cherishing, she turned her attention back at the young man in front of her.

"Baby-san", she said, "I'm about to be engaged to someone".

"Isn't that a good thing?" Furihata asked nonchalantly.

"Nope, not good. This Higashi-chan doesn't want to get married to a strict man and she's still too young for marriage. That's why, I need your help, ba~by", she winked at him, saying the nickname in a sing song tone. Furihata's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Oh, about that. Your job is not too difficult, baby-san. You just have to pretend to be my boyfriend for a while. I'll pay you, I promise!"

"Is that all?" Furihata asked. An extra income wouldn't hurt, he supposed.

"Oh, and meet my parents later… during the omiai next week, I want baby-san to come to my rescue and sweep me off my feet in front of my soon to be fiancé. It's a simple task, right?"

"This sounds risky".

"Don't worry, baby-san. I'll say that I'll commit suicide if they don't allow us to be together! They'd definitely let you go because papa loves Naomi very much".

Furihata gave it a thought for a while but he agreed immediately when Naomi wrote the amount he would receive if the task was completed successfully. Higashi Naomi smiled dazzlingly at the agreement – she was glad that there was a fool like Furihata who she could easily bait into running errand for her. Well, she was doing this for her own freedom. There was no way she would marry someone like Akashi Seijuurou, no matter how rich and powerful he was. The best situation would be Akashi breaking off the arrangement himself after seeing their sob love story. Worse comes to worse, Furihata would only get a few beatings in the face. They wouldn't eliminate a civilian, would they?

Ah, well. There was always the plane ticket strategy. The world was vast, there were many places where she could hide in. She wrote the name of the restaurant where the Omiai would take place, passing it underneath the table to Furihata.

"I'll see you soon, baby-san. I can't wait to see you rescuing me like a knight in shining armor", she gave him a flying kiss and left the young adult who had tucked the piece of paper in his pocket safely to enjoy the cake.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Heya~ Thanks for the reviews (XD). Welp, some of the questions... will be answered later by the story but meaybe later on(I appreciate questions cause it will help me fill in the gaps). XD. Please take care of me XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

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**Chapter 4: Understanding**

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The snow fell from the sky in lazy, flat flakes; the city covered by the snow in the early December would be a sight to behold when the first morning light peeked through the horizon tomorrow. The bright lighting of the night restaurants projected the warmth behind the glasses and warmth was something that Furihata was lacking as he waited at the bus stand on the opposite side of the road for his signal to crash the Omiai. His phone beeped – the young man read the message and kept it back in his pocket as he crossed the road to the other side. He stepped onto the pedestrian pavement, gazing through the window to count the tables and when a girl wearing a high pony tail was marked on, Furihata pushed through the doorway, rushing over to where she was sitting to create ruckus before he could be stopped by the waiters.

"Naomi, I love you! That's why, I will not let you go. Come with me!" he dramatically shouted the script that had been given to him, extending his hand towards Naomi. His uninvited appearance was scorned by the other guests in the restaurant. The people around the table were even more so, left speechless at the forcible entry into the restaurant that sold food beyond his own budget. All mouths gaped, uttering absolutely zilch until she spoke.

"I love you too, Kouki! I will not marry this man (jack ass) because I love you so much, my love!" She faked her tears and threw herself at him.

"What's the meaning of this?" Mr Higashi, father of the said girl demanded angrily. His blood rose to his face, glaring daggers at the young man who had included himself in a fated meeting between two people (Akashi and Naomi). He was about to call his bodyguards to throw the man out when Midorima acknowledged Furihata's identity to everyone around the table.

"Furihata?"

The brunet haired young man, whose eyes had been fixed on Naomi, took a look at the faces around the table. His eyes widened when he saw the green haired doctor (Midorima) and … Akashi Seijuurou? His face turned red- oh, the mortification! Midorima stood up immediately, separating the girl from Furihata and grabbed the arm of the said man, dragging him to another corner out from the audiences' hearing range.

"Explain", Midorima ordered him to speak.

"Eh, um, eh…" he tried to cook up a lie on the spot but was failing miserably. He decided to just use the readily available scenario at his disposal after coming up with nothing. "Well, you see, I'm in love with the girl so I'm going to take her away".

"If you think giving me a half-baked lie will make me believe you, reconsider your action. I am your doctor – my job is to make sure no harm comes to you especially when I am at the scene. You are not just risking your life here, Furihata".

"Oh", Furihata scratched the back of his head shamefacedly.

"Do you know what will happen to you now if I do not intervene that pathetic show you are putting up in front of the two most powerful people in Japan?"

"I-I can only imagine. I mean, I didn't know Higashi-chan was about to be engaged to you", Furihata said apologetically.

"Huh? This Omiai is for Akashi, Furihata. I am here as the chaperon", Midorima said, explaining his reason for being there. Furihata turned his head too quickly upon hearing the reason that his neck cracked painfully. He rubbed his neck in pain – shocking news can do that to anyone. The point here was, Akashi was going to be engaged to Naomi. That somehow didn't bode well with him.

"Ouch, that hurts! A-Anyway, I'd still stop the Omiai b-because I promised her!" Furihata looked at him with a glint of determination in his brown orbs. He would be lying to say he didn't care if Naomi was engaged to Akashi – really, Naomi was not a good match to Akashi… That woman valued her freedom more than emotional affiliation.

"You shouldn't interfere, Furihata. You have to remember your condition", Midorima reminded the brunet haired man. When Furihata didn't show the sign of backing down, he grabbed the smaller man's arm and brought him over to the table, ready to drive the pregnant man home. When Akashi's eyes met with Furihata's one, the smaller of the two looked away shyly- the way Akashi was smirking at him was a proof enough that he hadn't forgotten.

"I'm sorry for the interruption. I would like to take my leave to send this man away", said Midorima politely in the presence of others. Naomi had her teary eyes on – her plan was in ruin due to this green haired chaperon (She wanted to kick him so bad for being too righteous!). She would not let the engagement through. No, she had to do something.

"W-Wait!" she grappled at the end of Furihata's winter coat desperately. "My love, how can you leave me like this?"

Midorima assisted on peeling the girl's fingers off. "Miss Higashi, your lover boy has another troubling situation that will risk his life if you don't, for once, make a mature decision to stop acting like a child. I'm sorry for my rudeness. As a doctor, I will not allow my patient to be hurt both mentally and physically".

Akashi, having enough of self-claimed justice and poorly staged love story, stood up. If they thought he had time for bullshit, then they thought wrong. The fastest way to solve this time issue was to remove unnecessary element. Bribing, threatening – he'd deal the situation in a less chaotic way to maintain the peaceful atmsophere. "Kouki, would you come with me for a while to discuss things?"

The way he addressed Furihata on a first name basis made the others questioned their relationship. Midorima was reluctant to allow a face to face talk between the two alone since Akashi was an unpredictable man but Furihata shook his arm free, giving him a small reassuring smile. It was scary, the request, but it was a reasonable demand to have a talk just between them. The one that was crashing Akashi's Omiai was Furihata. He (Furihata) bore all the responsibility to every outcome.

Furihata gulped but forced a nod in the end, following Akashi to the washroom. He played every possible calamity that could ensued during their _talk_ alone, praying hard for a natural catastrophe to come, something like an earthquake or meteor fall to serve as distraction. If he remembered correctly, Akashi had the tendency to cause trauma at interruptions (physically and mentally- both were the same to him) and what Furihata had done earlier fell into that category. A click of the lock and Furihata knew he was screwed.

"How much did she pay you to make a scene?" Akashi asked ever so directly. So he knew about the plan (or maybe he just guessed correctly) but Furihata wasn't going to fall short in his mission.

"Eh, what are you talking about, Akashi-san?"

"Do not play a fool, Kouki. I've known my business rivals longer than you do. Though it amazed me how you have agreed to her twisted plea".

"W-Well, money has nothing to do with this! It's a matter of the heart!"

"Matter of the heart?"

"Yes, the love emotion that any normal human would feel".

"Oh? Was that all you need to put yourself in an unfavorable situation?" The red haired man mocked the other causing Furihata's face to fall. _Angry. Angry. Angry._ Akashi's mockery irked him to the point he was fuming.

"What do you know about unfavorable situation?!" Furihata suddenly snapped. There was so many wrongs that the other didn't know and yet he used that kind of words against him! He shoved Akashi's shoulder with irritation, walking past him and heading straight out of the restaurant, ignoring Midorima who had followed after him. How dared Akashi talked to him about _unfavorable situation_? He was the one having a hard time accepting a reality that wasn't even plausible in the first place! What did Akashi know about _unfavorable situation_?

In his anger, Furihata failed to look at the incoming car. He carelessly marched to the other side, his mind so focused on getting home and going to bed that he missed the sound of a fast approaching vehicle. When the neon light glaringly flashed, Furihata stopped dead in his track against his better judgment. For the first time in his life, he saw glimpses of his death. No, not like this. He didn't want to die like this.

At that moment, Midorima was already running towards the frozen brunet haired man. He lunged himself forward, grabbing the said man, falling hard onto the side pavement, breaking Furihata's landing with his (Midorima) own body acting as a cushion. Furihata, knocked out from his daze, shakily casted his gaze on the doctor who had just saved him from a possible road kill. Blood trailed down the doctor's forehead but he ignored the head trauma, fixing his glasses to check on the other.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Midorima's duty led him to worry about his patient first.

"I'm okay", Furihata shakily answered, "I am okay but you're bleeding", Furihata wiped the blood trail.

"Don't worry about me first. I'm going to get an earful of this", Midorima chuckled lightly, "we should do a checkup tomorrow, just to make sure".

The guests in the restaurant who saw the accident crowded them, a waiter was already on the phone calling an ambulance. Naomi was pampering Furihata while Furihata was fussing over Midorima's injury. It was a chaotic assembly of various intentions. Akashi offered a ride to Furihata- he figured that if some part of the accident was his fault, he should've at least paid for his mistake. Inside the car, quietness took its form, Furihata staring horrifically at the changing scenery.

"Shintarou suffers a minor head injury, nothing to agonize over".

Nothing to agonize over? His friend was almost killed in a road accident and there was nothing to agonize over? He laughed eccentrically- this guy was heartless, he should've expected that. A what if situation occurred in his mind- what if, right then and there, he revealed about the child to Akashi? He doubted Akashi would care.

"Do you know", Furihata paused briefly, his eyes clouded with vengeful anger that he couldn't think correctly, continuing his sentence with bitter revelation "that you are going to be a father?" He dropped the only bomb he had against the said man, all because he took Midorima's condition lightly. Akashi turned to look at him, his eyebrows knitted together.

"I don't seem to…. "He cut his sentence short once he had taken a full view of the brunet haired man. Furihata acted as if he was the victim, the emotions flickering in his eyes were not just worry for a friend. There was something else, something deeper. Understanding dawned onto him and the vice president covered his face with both of his hands, wiping them down to his chin.

"It worked?" Akashi asked suddenly.

"What…"

"It worked, didn't it? You are carrying my child", Akashi said, looking straight into the smaller boy's eyes.

"H-How did you know?"

"Huh, now I have a living sample", Akashi suddenly leaned closer to Furihata. "You don't know, do you?"

"Akashi-san, you're creeping me out", Furihata put on his guard, his back touching the door as he tried to get out of Akashi's face. Akashi laughed lowly, his hand tracing Furihata's abdomen.

"I caused this. Do you think a normal man can _actually_ get pregnant? Not without an assist, no, man can't get pregnant but **that** assist that had been provided by me caused this. That night, you were too drunk to even realize what I have added into your system. It's your own fault letting your guard down, presenting an opportunity that I couldn't turn away from. I have tried and tried to get it to work on mice- I have never thought the success rate is higher when introduced to an actual person".

"What do-What do you mean you did something to me?"

"You. **Are**._ My_. Experimental. Subject. The drug I used on you will create a womb inside your body- that place where the fetal would grow in", Akashi sat back at where he was, his grin growing wider and his eyes watching Furihata with hysterical fascination. Ah, there would be a lot of things to observe. To discover. His twisted mind turned its gear to every possible futuristic result – he made a mental note to see Kuroko and Kagami later to collect the details he had missed.

"W-Why are you doing this?" Furihata asked, his courage to raise his voice shriveling the moment the powerful presence took root inside the compact space.

"For leisure. For sanity. Huh, but to reduce myself to a donor. Only that I regret".

Right after the sentence was spoken, Furihata found himself aggressively pushing Akashi against the door, glaring as if he was about to murder the said man. He would take anything from Akashi – scientific shit, he could stand that, heartless words, and he could take that too but regret? Regret was what he didn't want to hear from the red haired man. Regret meant that the baby's existence was seen as meaningless. Regret meant that he was mirroring a shadow that was imbued in Furihata's belief – a shadow of his own remorse. It was a blow to his own ego. Selfishness that was buried deep within had spoken to him in a form of another. And yet, a part of him screamed defense. He acted on the maternal feeling, lashing out at the said man. "Do not speak lowly of the child I am carrying!" he hissed hostilely.

"You feel the same. Do not deny that. You know I am right", Akashi grabbed a handful of Furihata's hair, tilting Furihata's head to the side, the exposed neck enticing his carnal lust. He pressed the communication button next to the window to talk to his driver. He had another place in mind, his body heated from the conversation.

"Equatorial Park Hotel. I'll stop by the hospital tomorrow".

* * *

They were in a hotel room and despite the light switch being in their reach, neither of the two men bothered to press on it. Akashi, his vision adjusted to darkness, had trapped Furihata against the wall, his body touching so closely that it was impossible for Furihata to push the other away. Akashi ran his hand through the brunet lock, his tongue tracing Furihata's ear to his jaw, nipping the skin lightly between kisses on the jawline. He sucked the skin, firmly pressing his lips against it as he worked on leaving a mark. Furihata held his breath with his eyes shut, his brow wrinkled when the red haired licked his sensitive skin.

"Un, no…"

Akashi traced the jawline up to where the parted lips were. He dipped his head subtly and licked the plump lips, slowly connecting their mouths together. There was no fervent in the movement he had made – the night was young and time seemed to pass by slowly. He had plenty of time to enjoy the moment. He tipped the other boy's chin to deepen the kiss, tasting every corner, probing a cavern he had never explored before. Furihata slowly responded. Letting go of his breath, he returned back the kiss with his own deliberate rhythm.

Akashi let go of the kiss, grabbing Furihata's wrist and leading him to the bed. With one hand on the smaller male's shoulder, he brought him down with a light thrust, crawling on top of the other, grinning ear to ear when the other turned away to hide his neediness appearance . Excited by the reaction, the red haired ran his hand underneath Furihata's shirt, moving his hand around as if he was molding the body while pushing the shirt upwards- smirking when the nipples erected at his touch. He pinched the nipples, watching the expression changes with excitement at each twist.

"Akashi-san, no. Hngh, wait, it feels weird!" Furihata tried to stop the merciless torment but Akashi locked both of his wrists with one hand and used the other to fondle the teat. Furihata arched into the touch, his face flustering- his nipples had become sensitive during the pregnancy and he really didn't like to be touched there.

"S-Stop. Uh, urgh, I'm going to-"he bit his lips as he reached his climax- his semen soaking his under garments, the wetness now visible on the frontal part of his jeans too. Akashi released his grasp, working on taking off the brunet haired man jeans keenly. Akashi pressed down Furihata's arms after getting rid his own pants, showering kisses on Furihata's collarbone while rubbing his own length against Furihata's. The other man shivered at the contact, panting as the red haired humped faster. Akashi was thrilled when Furihata moved his hips too to match with his movement. When he was close to climax, Akashi lapped on the smaller male's collarbone to leave another mark. Furihata gasped and his body quivered when the load came out. Akashi finished his with a hand job, burying his face in the crook of Furihata's neck before coming. He caught his breath back, lying on his side while facing the wall with a conclusive decision made.

"I will decline her at the next Omiai", Akashi said affirmatively. "Since you _**love**_ her".

"I don't love Naomi. Those words are scripted", Furihata admitted bashfully.

"…"

"But I'd like to get to know you better, Akashi-san. The baby too".

"…"

"Will you take responsibility, Akashi-san?" asked Furihata hopefully.

Akashi turned around, his face was blank from any readable emotion. Furihata waited for the answer quietly, staring into Akashi's eyes as he did so. They stayed like that for a minute- Akashi breaking the eye contact when he directed his gaze on Furihata's abdomen.

"I shall observe you closely. That is the only promise I can make".

Furihata couldn't stop happiness from radiating on his face. Really, the red haired man had no idea how much the word meant to him. Ever so indirect, he guessed that was just Akashi's way of saying his 'yes'.

* * *

"Shin-Chan!" Takao grabbed the sleeping man's hand, weeping with his face buried on the bedding. Midorima, rudely awakened by his lover's crying, shook his hand off to let loose of the tightening grasp. Takao persistently held onto his hand, not letting go no matter what, causing the green haired doctor to shoot up into a sitting position, loosening his grip forcefully, peeling the fingers one after the other.

"Takao, I'm not dead yet!" shouted Midorima at the other's absurdity. What could he gain from making unnecessary scene? He'd be kicked out from the ward for disturbing the other patients if he continued with his charade.

Takao's lips twitched in annoyance. Here he was caring about his boyfriend and what did he receive from his Shin-chan? His joke about death! It grated on Takao's nerve that he smacked the said doctor's palm angrily. Takao needed some love too and Midorima sure was a cheapskate when it comes to his romantic feelings!

"I came all the way from Tokyo and this is how you treat me, Shin-chan?! I am worried sick when I heard you got into a fucking accident! At least compensate my wasted feelings!"

"It's my fault. I apologize", the doctor coolly said his lines. In front of Takao, he couldn't afford to act wishy-washy. His injury was just a minor one- what he cared more about right now was Furihata's condition.

"The doctor said you can go home tomorrow", Kagami said as soon as he walked into the sickbay. He had a mischievous grin plastered on his face- he saw a pun incoming, something that Izuki would've said came out from his mouth voluntarily, "it's funny how a doctor is the one being hospitalized in the hospital he's working at". Really, Izuki did rub on him since he was hanging around Izuki too much to easily catch his pun disease.

"I will throw the statue of corrective deity at you if I have it right here. Be thankful that I am not in my office", earning louder mocking laughter from Kagami.

Kagami glanced around the room after his laughter died out, searching for a specific person he had come to take home with him but the very reason why he came running to the hospital wasn't even there. Kuroko had wanted to follow him to the hospital if it wasn't for his deadline. (Not that he won't if it was only Midorima getting hit by a car). At Furihata's absence, he pursed his lips, unsure why he was there when there was only Midorima in the parameter.

"Yo, wasn't Furihata with you?"

"He was but I think Akashi had offered him a ride home…That's what the paramedic told me".

"You left him alone with **that** demon?"

"I don't have control over who goes with who when I am in an ambulance, fool. Use your head for once!"

"Hey, bakagami, why don't you go home and leave us alone for a while. I don't always get the chance to be alone with Shin-chan, unlike you and that ghost- sticking to each other's butts from morning to night time", Takao shooed Kagami away, angry at Kagami for stealing his precious time away. Kagami sneered, saying, "What? Jealous much?"

"Shut up and get lost!" the shorter male cried, his face flustered hotly. Kagami laughed, exiting the hospital with his hands in his pocket. He was relieved that Midorima got off the accident with just a scratch. He texted the news back to Kuroko who replied with a simple one word text: _good_. He didn't ask Kuroko if Furihata had arrived home safely – he'd check on him later.

He just hoped that Furihata wouldn't stay out too late with the said demon. Nothing good will come out of it.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Heya, ppl~ Here some more update for you guys~ Thanks for the reviews~ I smiled everytime I read them. I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Hehe~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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**Chapter 5: Toss and Turn of life**

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At the first glance, the prospect in the living room bear a resemblance to a meeting between the in laws and their prospective son-in-law. The roles were distributed to these arrangement: Kagami as the mother in law, Kuroko as the father in law, Furihata as the daughter and Akashi as the daughter's soon to be husband. The tension in the room roused to the neck as Akashi exchanged death glares with Kagami while Kuroko sipping his tea calmly and Furihata eating the rice crackers nonchalantly.

"I will not accept this supposing fact you are telling me!" Kagami slapped his hand on the coffee table in disapproval towards the idea of Akashi being the child's father. Kuroko put down his cup, crossing his arms as he looked at Kagami with an unfazed expression.

"There's nothing we can do about things that had been done", Kuroko said evenly. "And more importantly, you should meet with Furihata's parents directly than coming to us, Akashi-kun", he said to Akashi. The red haired man rearranged his sitting position – folding his long sleeves shirt he had been wearing since yesterday.

"I am… aware of that", Akashi said calmly.

"Sure you are. Are you going to bear responsibility if their son died from your reckless experimentation? People don't live twice – you should know that before even trying to inject some suspicious stuff inside someone else's body", Kagami said in forced acceptance but he was still irked by the fact that Akashi using Furihata as an experimental subject.

"I… will watch him closely", Akashi carefully selected his words as to not anger anyone in the proxy.

"You can't guarantee that nothing will happen to him, Akashi-kun", Kuroko replied blatantly. He supported Kagami's view that despite being a miraculous happening, there was still the risk of losing either the mother or the baby. If it was susceptible to death, such miracle should never be allowed to happen.

But it wasn't like he could stop the wheel of fate either. He just wished that Akashi would stop thinking that the world revolved around him at the right moment when it counted.

"I am aware of that", Akashi used the line again for the second time in the same hour. Kuroko and Kagami were pressing on the matter really harshly – they needed to cut it down or he'd lose his patience that were carving thinner by the minutes. Furihata finished the last piece of the rice cracker, licking his fingers clean from the crumbs. He looked at the empty plate longingly – Kuroko picked up the plate to refill the rice crackers. With the absence of Kuroko from the room, the tension roused a level higher to the point Furihata couldn't stand it anymore.

"Can the two of you tone it down a little?" the brunet haired man appealed to a truce. Kagami relaxed his shoulder, sighing with his vision casted to the ceiling.

"How is the baby?" the red haired man asked, remembering Furihata's appointment with Midorima who returned to his duty as soon as he got himself out of the bed. The doctor had called Kuroko the first thing in the morning, arranging an appointment immediately before afternoon and hoping that the message would be relayed to Furihata somehow– a message was sent to Kuroko after the call to remind Furihata about the appointment. Kuroko had texted Furihata about it when the said man hadn't returned the night before – his message was replied to an hour after it was sent, at the same time letting him know that the brunet was alright.

Furihata beamed happily at the mention of the baby. (Pity that Akashi had to drop him off at the hospital for another meeting). With the way the brunet haired man was smiling, something good must have happened, Kagami presumed.

"The baby is okay and Midorima-san will do an ultrasound scan in two weeks so that I can see the baby".

"W-Wait!" Kagami jumped in his seat, his eyes widened at the news, glinting with a childlike excitement, "you can't have the ultrasound scan without me and Kuroko! I want to see it too!" Finally, they were going to see the baby for the first time. Kuroko returned with the plate filled with rice cracker, his face softened when the atmosphere in the room had lightened.

"Kuroko, listen! Furihata is going to have the baby scanned in two weeks!" Kagami said excitedly.

"Ultrasound scan? I would like to be present too", said Kuroko, putting the plate in front of Furihata.

"Oh, Akashi-san, are you going to be there too?" Furihata asked, albeit bashfully. Akashi leaned back, ignoring the tenacious stare from Kagami and the questioning stare from Kuroko. They made it looked like he was going to miss the first scan of his _own_ child. As if that would ever happen but agreeing directly would be demeaning. "I am going to discuss something with Shintarou about the experimentation- I'll be present", giving them a plausible reason why he'd be there to see the scan.

"There you go again, making it sound like Furihata is some sort of lab rat", Kagami said, annoyed.

"A fact shall not be twisted. I am just stating the truth of the situation. I am after all an academician", he left out the part where he was also holding a high status in the business community. Kuroko who had known Akashi for years had long accepted how Akashi was unaccustomed to emotions and couldn't express his feelings in a gentler way. His intention, though coated with vehement cold statement, was always a good one. It went back as far as Teikou days down to now – Akashi Seijuurou never changed.

"Would you like to stay for dinner too, Akashi-kun? We can talk about what you have missed while eating," Kuroko proposed an invitation, seeing that it was almost dinner time. Kagami, who was in a good mood after hearing the news, had planned on making Creamy Pasta with Salmon and rainbow cookies for dessert.

And Akashi replied with a silent nod.

* * *

Tokyo. They were both sitting on their shins in front of the coffee table while the two parental figures (a week after the discussion at Kuroko's house), Furihata's mother and father, sat on the other side of the table. In the middle of the table, a tipped cup laid flat on its side, the brown liquid pooling on the surface and dripping at the edge to the floor, a sign that the meeting hadn't gone as well as planned. Furihata's father had knocked off the cup in his anger upon receiving the news about the baby- he gave up on looking at the people in front of him.

"You. Are. Telling. Me. That my son. A man. Is. Pregnant?" the father said, his teeth clashing at each word. His son, a man, was pregnant. Did he hear them wrong?

"He is", Akashi said calmly, confirming the only fact that held truth. He didn't let the anger shook his confidence – he had seen worst to be scared of such a thing. Akashi Seijuurou won't tremble from a simple domestic challenge. Furihata's father bent forward, his palm whipped in Furihata's direction. The smaller man closed his eyes in wait for the pain but it never came. He peeked through an eye, shocked to see Akashi gripping tight around his father's wrist.

"Kouki is not to be blamed", the red haired man said in an equally intimidating tone, "I am the one causing this to happen".

"You're telling me that my son sleep with a man? So now you're grouping him with the pussy? I'm sure I taught you** better**, Kouki", the elder man's voice dripped with the same malice. Furihata shrunk when his name was mentioned. His father was a man to be feared- he'd be looking at Furihata as a failure from this point onwards - a failure meant that he had disgraced his family.

"Gender and sexuality are not the issues we are discussing about right now. It's your son's safety we are supposed to address", Akashi spoke.

"Your man really got the guts, huh, Kouki? He thinks he is the ever virtuous. And you? You don't even have the courage to work your mouth against me". The man was getting ready to land a hit on his son's face, was ready to drag him up to his room and locked him inside to repent but his wife held him on the shirt with a troubled face to stop him from hurting the said son. Furihata hated that he had caused only grief for his mother- he let the tears welled at the corner of his eyes.

"Honey, please don't!" Furihata's mother begged her husband to calm down.

"You spoiled him too much. This is your fault too", he looked down at the wife, furiously glaring at her.

"F-Father, don't hurt mum", Furihata spoke when his father intimidatingly looked down at his mother. His father grunted, his eyes darkened with rage- the son stoned at the fury.

"I don't EVER want to see your face in this house. AS LONG AS I AM ALIVE, I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU EVER SET FOOT IN MY HOUSE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? THE SAME GOES TO THE BASTARD'S CHILD," his outraged voice echoed in the house. Furihata lowered his head, greeting his goodbye solemnly and walked out from the house with Akashi following right behind him.

Before he left the house, he saw his mother coming out from the house with a wrapped package in her hand. She ran after him, calling out to her son who stopped in his track at the voice of his mother. Her eyes were red from trying hard to hold her tears.

"Son, take this", she gave him the wrapped package. Staring contently at her face, he bent down to allow her to kiss his forehead. "Whatever happens, you are still my son. Send me the baby pictures when it's born. You must call me and tell me about the baby's growth. I'll try to visit you sometimes". Furihata was overwhelmed by his mother's gentleness that he gave Akashi the package to hold and pulled the smaller woman into a crushing hug.

"Mum, thank you", he whispered softly.

"Take care of yourself", his mother said after she was released from the hug.

In the car, Furihata just stared at the window recalling his mother's words. Meanwhile, Akashi's mind was whirling with the scene just now. The society below him, he observed, had a different perspective towards the term dishonor. While in the elite class, a dishonorable outcome would be something like being the cause of Japan's economy collapse… or even the failure to merge into a dominant power… but a birth of a child was never a big issue in his society. Such was their difference. That reminded him that he still needed to decline the marriage proposal- neither Naomi nor him would like to be bounded for political reasons and with this mutual agreement, there wasn't a need to force the issue forward.

He heard grumbling of the stomach coming from Furihata. The vice president of the Akashi Corporation pressed on the communication button, telling the driver to pull over at the nearest restaurant- an Italian restaurant near by the sea. They chose to sit inside since the winter breeze was too cold for them to sit outside. After ordering their food choices, Furihata enjoyed the view of the sea. Though wallowing in sadness from being disowned by his own father, the brunet haired man was peaceful- at least, he would still be hanging on with the help of his friends. He had his education loan to continue his study – he'd decided to take care of the child himself once the baby was born. Furihata realized that he was scared shitless when he thought he was going to lose the child from the accident. He didn't want to depart with his own child – he'd sure things would work out somehow.

"Are you still worrying about your father?" Akashi asked when Furihata hadn't spoken a single word ever since they left the house. Furihata shook his head.

"No, I've always known that my father have a high expectation of me. He'd make me an outcast the moment I betray his expectation. That's why, maybe, I have seen this coming", said Furihata.

"I thought you'd be more… mournful over such loss", said Akashi. The waiter served their orders and Furihata ate his part enthusiastically.

"I should be but I feel comforted somehow. It's hard to explain".

"I didn't intend for you to cut ties with your family. I apologize. Should you need a shoulder to rely on, you can always ask for mine".

"That's very… considerate of you. Akashi-san is a peculiar person. Your aptitude changes at times".

"Depends on who I need to be in the situation. I am not always kind".

"I know", Furihata said after licking the spoon clean from the cake topping. He had learned so much more about Akashi during the week – the red haired man had taken his time to visit him every day with his excuse to collect more data when he was obviously just worried and curious. After Akashi paid the bill, Furihata had taken a brief walk outside alone. It was still cold outside- there was still snow collecting on the slated pavement and the wind was so cold that he had to rub his gloved hands to increase his body temperature. Akashi stood by the restaurant's glass door, watching Furihata's back. He noticed how Furihata's body shook a little while facing the sea. It might have looked like he was shivering from cold but in actuality, the smaller male had had his tears rolling down while braving the wind.

"Stupid father, the baby's still your grandchild, y'know", he sniffed a little. Akashi approached the smaller boy and without making much sound, offered his own form of relief to the other- he really didn't know why he felt the need to wrap his arm around the other boy, lending him his shoulder as promised.

The winter was cold especially when standing by the sea but in the arm of one Akashi Seijuurou, warmth enveloped Furihata, giving him comfort that others cannot give. Akashi's coat was wet from the tears – the three of them snuggled closely in the midst of the bleak weather and the deafening sound of the sea.

* * *

Furihata swallowed his saliva when a female sonographer came into the room with the jelly like lubrication. So far, the only people who was allowed to be in his presence were his companions – this was the first time someone else would be exposed to his pregnancy. The sonographer smiled gently when she saw his nervous face. As if to assure him, she patted his shoulder as if to tell him that he'd be alright.

"Oh, don't be nervous. Most of the workers in the hospital already knew about you. You're a big shot here", said the lady with a friendly tone.

"E-Everyone knows?"

"Well, when the best laboratory team is involved in producing your test result, the news spread like wildfire. Dr. Midorima's father is having a hard time controlling the rumors though. The only thing we can compensate the team shut mouths is by giving them the checkup results every time you come over", she rubbed the jelly on his abdomen – Furihata winced when the chill spread on his skin.

A few minutes later, Midorima, Kagami, Kuroko and Akashi entered the room. Akashi decided to stand in the corner while Kagami stood closely next to the screen. Kuroko became a pillar for Furihata's emotional support by standing next to him while Midorima held a pen and paper to jot down the observation. The lady held onto the active transducer, saying, "Are you ready to see your baby?" Furihata couldn't stop the nervousness – what would the baby be like?

The sonographer lady rubbed the transducer onto his skin. The image of the baby appeared on the screen and Furihata's heart made a leap. His baby- there on the screen, he could see his baby. The room went quiet when the baby's hand moved, rubbing its hand against the human made uterus lining as if to say hello. Without the image, Furihata wouldn't even notice the movement- his heart leaped again.

"Aw, the baby moved", the lady squealed, "It's greeting us. Such a friendly baby".

"Hello, baby!" Kagami said excitedly. It was his first time watching the ultrasound procedure and his first time to see a baby scan. Kuroko let a content giggle. "It's beautiful, Furihata-kun".

Furihata was beaming too. He was sure that Akashi was pleased too even though he suppressed his emotion underneath a stony mask. At only ten weeks and the baby was already responding so well. He wondered if it would inherit the same intelligence like the father. Midorima, despite feeling amazed himself, closely jotted down the baby's condition in the report. When the doctor had put away the notes, Furihata decided to ask the possibility of getting to know the baby earlier.

"When will you be able to tell the gender?" Furihata asked curiously.

"Eh, you don't want the gender to be a secret?" asked the Sonographer lady. Most parents would like to keep the baby's gender unknown until the day of its birth.

"No, I'm tired of referencing the baby as it. I'd like to get to know the baby better earlier", said Furihata. Midorima stood there silently as he deliberated on the request. He looked at the screen – with the way the baby was covering its genital tubercular, he won't be able to tell the gender now.

"If you come here next week on the Christmas Eve, we might be able to see if it's a boy or a girl", said Midorima, "but it depends on whether Mrs. Tono would be available that week or not". The sonographer lady took out a small calendar from her wallet.

"I am available from three to four in the evening on that day. If you can make it at that time, I will be happy to assist you doing the scan", said Mrs. Tono.

Midorima turned to look at Furihata. "Can you make it?"

"Yes, I am available for the two holiday days", Furihata confirmed. Midorima approved the appointment date after they were seated at the doctor's table. He'd make it up to Takao later for being late for Christmas- he was sure that his raven haired lover would understand. He checked on the nutrition journal Kagami had kept for Furihata (the one helping to look out for Furihata's diet was him anyway) and signed it. He even recommended Furihata to start drinking the maternal supplement – Akashi bought three cans of the milk powder (Apparently he had been paying for most of Furihata's necessity). Kagami carried the aluminum cans while Kuroko carried the journal as they walked out from the doctor's room. Akashi had stayed behind to have a personal talk with Midorima.

Midorima sat in a straightened position- the other man had gone from the corner to the chair in front of him, leaning back against the chair while having his hands linked by the fingers. Akashi crossed one leg above the other, his gaze directed on the accumulation of papers on the desk.

"I heard from Kuroko you are the father of Furihata's child. Akashi, you do know what you are doing right?" asked Midorima doubtfully.

"I won't know until I observe the whole process", Akashi said calmly, "Though I have a hypothesis".

"Hypothesis?" Midorima didn't like the sound of Akashi's words. Whenever the matter spoken was about science, there would be enough room for doubt for every researcher to find weaknesses in an experiment. Akashi shut his eyes – his mind running through every possible scenarios in his head. He had read the collection of reports he had obtained from the hospital but those reports were just past observation that made the pregnancy looked normal. Seeing how the subject was a male, he had come out with the worst possible situation so that it became preventable- the limit of the inelastic uterus wall.

"The uterus lining won't be able to handle the size of the baby once it is fully occupied to fully support its growth. I believe, when its limit is met, it will rupture", Akashi explained. Midorima wore a shocked expression – what they were looking at now was a possibility of a miscarriage. The green haired doctor felt a headache coming.

"Are we looking at a premature labor?" asked Midorima to the other.

"Possibly. Give it another three months. This is the first time it has ever been able to produce result. I have too little information to precisely predict the terms", Akashi replied simply.

Midorima took out his notepad and wrote a reminder about the points Akashi had given him. "I should hospitalized Furihata a month after Christmas. This is a longshot method- We'll put him under observation until the baby is born where we can act fast if anything were to happen beyond prediction. I would need to discuss this matter with him too".

Lifted from the topic, they moved on to the next one – one that Midorima had wanted to discuss about ever since Furihata, Kuroko and Kagami left the room. He put the notepad in the drawer, pushing it until a click could be heard. Akashi knew what was coming too – the matter about the laboratory team.

"You have interfered with something last week", Midorima stated blatantly. It was just a vague statement but Akashi knew what he was talking about.

"Perhaps I did but nothing worthy of your time to look into. Putting a block on possible information leak, that was all I was doing. This news about a pregnant male had almost got out from the hospital – one of its employee is adamant about releasing the information to the media even after your father tried to shut their mouths to save the hospital clean standing from any illegal experimentation, too afraid to be accused of such things". He didn't admit it directly but he'd like Midorima to acknowledge his action by letting him know that they were indeed on the same page.

"That doesn't give you the right to wipe out a person", Midorima said darkly- he didn't have to assume any more about the person behind the death of one of the laboratory team members after knowing the other parent of the child.

"Do not make assumption that I am responsible every time someone who works here drop dead".

"Who else has enough power to erase an existence but you? What you are doing is simply merciless".

"Shintarou", Akashi glared sharply at him, his fingers intertwined, "I do not horse around when it comes to the image of my company. Whatever I do will benefit Japan and that benefits you too. If the media caught wind of it, they investigate and their sources will lead to the Akashi. Before it reaches the tabloid and gives leeway to our business rivals to tarnish our reputation, I will act accordingly".

"Sometimes you make the most sense out of a coldblooded action", Midorima sighed. "It really can't be helped then".

"I am just doing what is necessary".

"Are you doing the necessary thing too by handling the Higashi?"

"The engagement proposal? That is a simple matter that can be solved quickly with a few tricks", Akashi said. He had a plan for that too. A simple deal that would help him rake profit. Midorima snorted in amusement – what is this man doing destroying an opportunity that would come only once in a lifetime to become a business ruler in the market?

Akashi was really hard to read sometimes.

"I'll be taking my leave now", Akashi stood up, deciding that conversation was over. Before he exited the room, he stopped to look at Midorima. "I should thank your father, Shintarou. He's a good man who protects the rights and safety of his patients. I'm lucky that it's your father's hospital Kouki had gone too".

'He must've been elated that's he's going to be a father', Midorima thought, thinking over Akashi's action while watching the door slowly closing after Akashi stepped out of the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Heya~ I really love the reviews. XD Thanks for your being supportive. XD. Please enjoy. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Holiday Celebration**

* * *

Takao inserted the ear bud tip into his ears, his I-Phone S5 playing _Snow Magic Fantasy_ as he looked into the distance. The passenger next to him, an old woman, was sleeping with her jacket covering her torso area. The train, smoothly sailing, ran on the track line towards the Kansai Region. One more hour and he'd reach Osaka, the place where his Shin-Chan was currently working at.

He recalled back the conversation he had had with Midorima earlier that week- the one call that had made him scraped every single cent he had to buy a Shinkansen (bullet train) ticket. Cost him a lot too – the green haired man better be prepared with an extra room in his house for Takao since he had no other place to stay at. Midorima was insistent about the _only _appointment he had scheduled on that day that he'd rather be late for Christmas than had the appointment cancelled. Takao understood that being a doctor needed commitment- to attend to their patient was their priority but sometimes, he did wish that Midorima would consider his position too. He was just a student (and his lover), hardly having enough money to travel to meet his Shin-Chan and that was why it was preferable if Midorima would be the one visiting him and not the other way around. Despite that, his sacrifice was always worth the money since he would be able to spend time with the said doctor who was extremely busy and hardworking – qualities that Takao fawned over.

At least, Midorima had given back his last train ticket money so that he won't be starving for the whole month.

He read the time on the watch – one-thirty in the afternoon. An hour later, the train reached the destination station. Takao walked out from the station after he was done helping the old lady finding the information center, renting himself a bicycle to move around the city for two days from the bicycle rental next to the station. The raven haired student cycled a kilometer down the road to the hospital where Midorima was working at. He stopped at a doughnut chain to get a box of six pieces of vanilla and Chocolate topping finger licking goodness. He casually strutted into the lobby after he had locked and parked the bicycle, going to the department where Midorima was working at, barging into the office without even knocking.

"Shin-chan, I've come to you!" he cried happily to announce his arrival. Midorima jumped on his feet in surprise – what was Takao doing here? He wanted to turn around to talk to the raven haired man but when he caught a glimpse of the scene he had wanted to see on the screen, a drop of sweat trailed down his forehead. He was waiting for this moment to come since ten minutes ago before Takao walked in. The baby was determined to hide its gender with both of its legs crossing in front of its genital tubercular that they had waited patiently for it to move again but Takao's loud voice instantly shocked the baby that it changed position in response to the scare.

"It's a girl", he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"A girl? Oh!" a man's voice spoke from the examination bed.

Takao was expecting a lady's voice but the contradiction made his vision lowered downwards onto the person on the examination bed– he had seen that brunet haired guy before was the first thought that came to him. Hm… Wasn't he the Seiren's point guard? When realization hit him, Takao gasped loudly.

"Y-You're pregnant?!" Takao pointed his finger at Furihata as he exclaimed deafeningly.

"Takao, shut up! You will seriously give all of us heart attack if you keep that up!" Midorima scolded his lover.

"B-But Shin-chan, h-how can a man get pregnant?" Takao asked, still in disbelief of what he was seeing in front of him.

"It's a long story", Furihata laughed nervously. Takao came closer to him, his face changing to a stern one. Furihata thought he was going to receive a punch but yelped when a box was thrust in his face.

"Have some. You can have them since you're pregnant. You must be craving for some, right?" Takao's lips tugged into a smile, gradually changing into a grin. "Got you! You thought I was going to punch you, huh? I'm not that petty", Takao said cheerfully.

"What kind of nonsense are you saying?" Midorima confiscated the doughnut box from Takao who whined noisily. "Junk food is not good for the baby".

"I'm trying to be nice here, Shin-Chan! You'd like to have some, right, pregnant-kun?"

"It's Furihata Kouki", Furihata told the raven haired man his name, "and yes, I'd like to have one, Dr. Midorima". The doctor exhaled exasperatedly- Takao and his persuasion would never fail to bait another soul to agree with him. He decided to ask the question he had been meaning to ask ever since the raven haired man arrived rather than scolding him about the doughnut.

"Why are you in Osaka? Didn't I tell you that I am going to Tokyo to see you?" He was happy that Takao had come to him but he too wanted to be the one eliciting the surprise cry from Takao. Oh, well. It wasn't like things would always go his way all the time.

"Aw, Shin-chan, I'm just looking after your wellbeing! I'm saving you from all the trouble of trying to make it in time to celebrate Christmas Eve with me. Aren't you happy that I have come running to you instead?"

Midorima's face turned red in embarrassment but he denied frantically, "Like I would!"

"What do you think, Furihata?" Takao asked the other's opinion. His Shin-Chan was flustering red. How cute.

"He's happy alright", Furihata sat up after Mrs. Tono had pushed the machine back to the corner. Mrs. Tono gave her holiday greetings before exiting the room. Midorima sat in his chair while Takao wandered around, examining the equipment in the room. The raven haired male was fascinated by machine that he had enrolled in the Robotic course. He didn't let go the opportunity to check on the medical support machines, tinkering with them while the said doctor was doing his job.

"I have something to discuss with you, Furihata. Are you rushing to go anywhere?" Midorima said with a straight face.

"Hm? No, I have some time", Furihata said, comfortably seated. He had opened the box to take a doughnut and while Midorima was against the junk food intake, he let the man had his way since it was Christmas holiday. He had gone through the discussion he had with Akashi previously in his head many times during the week. Choices for them were limited – they had to put the young man under scrutinized observation for his own good.

"Your pregnancy, as you know it yourself, is abnormal", Midorima started slowly. "Your life and the baby's too are at risk".

"I… I know that but I am not going to abort her. I'd rather die trying".

"Can you let me finish what I'm going to say before interrupting?" Midorima said- people should listen to him more when he spoke.

"Oh, Okay. Go on", said Furihata.

"I'm not going to allow anyone to die. There's a miscarriage risk that I can't disregard- I'm going to admit you into the hospital in February", said Midorima.

"Eh? But wouldn't that cost a lot?" asked Furihata worriedly. Money was not something he had at the moment.

"You don't have to worry about the fee. Right now, worry about your condition first. What I need now is your agreement on the matter". Furihata wore a troubled face but he already knew the answer to Midorima's proposed suggestion. He'd do anything to keep the baby- the brunet haired man agreed although reluctantly.

"Shin-Chan, how do I stop this machine?" Takao cried suddenly, interrupting the low-spirited mood with another problem - a machine had roared to live and was uncontrollably trying to grab his hair. Midorima snappily looked up while Furihata watched in amazement as Takao tried to stop the shaking machine, strongly holding against the approaching – what was a robotic hand doing in a doctor's office?

"My lucky item…" the brunet haired man heard the said doctor whispered. When Takao attacked the robotic hand with a heavy metal box where Midorima kept his confidential documents to turn it off, Midorima's brows twitched. The hand broke, dangling on a piece of wire.

"I figure that would stop it", Takao said sounding relieved. Midorima gritted his teeth. His expensive lucky item had been destroyed by his beloved. He was torn between whose side he should take. Midorima, deciding to play the frugal role, took the lucky item side. He hollered the name of his lover angrily. It seemed Takao needed to be punished later.

"TAKAO!"

* * *

The doorbell buzzed a few times at eleven in the morning, someone had been stabbing on the button ruthlessly that Kagami felt the need to chop the rude visitor's head. He opened the door and yowled when his nose was stabbed by a finger.

"Yo!" the familiar voice spoke. Kuroko appeared behind Kagami, his moody mien from the noisy sound changed to a light one once he saw the faces of the visitors.

"KUROKOCCHI!" Kise leaped forward but he was blocked by Aomine's body.

"Hey, hey, you're not going to do that shit here. This place is way too small for that", Aomine said, long noticing the shoe cupboard next to Kuroko the moment the door was opened. Kise could've gotten himself hurt if Aomine didn't stop him. He only let the other through once the model-kun was calm enough to greet Kuroko normally.

They entered the apartment with Kise lounging on the sofa the moment he was inside, dead tired from the long flight from America to Japan. Aomine pulled the trolley bag into the apartment- they would be checking into the hotel later after getting enough rest at Tetsu's place.

"How's America, Kise-kun?" asked Kuroko.

"A fine place to be at but competitive. There were hard times and good times, I guess. Aominecchi had it rough getting by in the team too", Kise replied, feeling a little down himself.

"I'm doing fine", Aomine said defensively from the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah, sure you are. You can tell us anything if something happened to you, y'know?" Kagami said, his hand busily beating the egg. The carrots were already shredded, he just needed to prepare the cake batter.

"Nothing happened to me and Kise. We're doing alright", said Aomine, puffing the air out lightly. Kagami snorted in disbelief but he let the discussion go. Kuroko had called Murasakibara to ask him if he could attend the gathering that night – the only people they didn't expect to see so soon were Aomine and Kise but the rest of them had made a promise to be there (Akashi just gave them his silent agreement with a head nod).

"Shouldn't you guys be visiting Tokyo instead of coming here?" asked Kagami.

"Will do that later, Kagamicchi", Kise answered from the sofa, his voice drawling from loud to soft. Aomine yawned too and he joined the model-kun on the sofa.

"Aominecchi, go away! I need to sleep!"

"No can't do. You can't hog the sofa to yourself", Aomine climbed on top of Kise.

"Heavy!" Kise whined unhappily. They bickered for a while until Aomine got his way and the two cuddled together on the sofa, sleeping peacefully. Kuroko helped to set up the place, choosing to sweep the place instead of using the vacuum. Kagami worked hard on preparing the celebration dinner- there would be roasted stuffed turkey, vegetable salad dish, potato pie, carrot cake and mixed fruit pudding. The smell of the food bombarded every corner of the apartment- Kuroko couldn't wait for the feast time.

Murasakibara and Himuro arrived at five in the evening with two boxes of cookies baked earlier in the morning – they had driven from Nagoya to make it to the meeting. Himuro went to the kitchen to help Kagami with the cooking while Murasakibara played pokes on Kise's and Aomine's cheek. Kuroko grabbed his camera to take the picture of his visitors – this Christmas would leave a good memory for everyone. Midorima arrived when it was close to the dinner time, dragging a noisy Takao by the collar. It turned out that Takao had wanted to spend more time observing an automatic door at a shopping complex and wouldn't budge if it hadn't been for Midorima who forcefully dragged him out from the building.

After setting up the dinner table, they sat around it in wait for the red haired man. Kuroko answered the door when the doorbell buzzed; Furihata had met with Akashi at the gate since they arrived at the same time, the reason why they had appeared at the front door together. Kuroko let the two people inside and they joined the group. They were eating with the celebration mood in the air when Furihata suddenly yelped when he felt a fluttering feeling inside his body.

"Are you alright, Furihata-kun?" asked Kuroko with concern.

Furihata lightly chuckled. "I'm okay. I just feel a little ticklish, that's all. She's moving too close to my pelvic. Hehe".

Kagami stopped eating the turkey- his eyes radiated with eagerness. "It's a girl?" he asked.

"She is. Hehe", Furihata said and he yelped again when the baby changed her position.

"Isn't it still too soon to feel the movement?" Kuroko asked Midorima.

"Everyone is different. Going by the book, it should be around 16 weeks but some mothers experience it early".

Kise looked lost for a moment, the same goes for Aomine, Murasakibara and Himuro. Himuro was the first one to ask, "Hm? What's going on here?"

"Furihata is a pregger", Takao said loudly but cupped his mouth as if he was whispering.

"Oh, congratulation!" Himuro said, not even fazed by the fact that it was a pregnancy outside the norm.

"Eh?" Kise's eyes widened, "You're pregnant, Furihata-kun? How's that possible?"

"Eh, that's…" Furihata looked at Akashi agitatedly. Akashi helped to silent the rest with his death glare. At first, everyone went quiet but Aomine let out a gleeful laughter, knowingly gazed at Akashi. He made the 'aha' noise and grinned ear to ear. The rest were just left to wonder- they returned to eating the food on the table, conversing about America and universities (Furihata's pregnancy was not a safe topic to discuss when Akashi was in the same room).

After the heart-warming dinner, they sat in front of the TV watching the special series broadcasted on the screen. Akashi had slipped out from the group. Furihata, noticing Akashi's departure, stood up and grabbed his winter jacket and muffler. He went outside of the apartment, walking behind Akashi who went to the closest temple to pray. He bought a wooden charm, pocketed it in his pocket and turned around to go back to Kuroko's apartment. What he didn't expect was to see Furihata standing behind him.

"You shouldn't stay outside in the cold too long", said Akashi.

"I was just wondering where you are going alone", said Furihata.

"I didn't wish for you to see me here", Akashi took out the charm from his pocket and handed it over to Furihata. The brunet haired man blinked in confusion – why was Akashi giving him the charm? The red haired noticed the hesitation and added to his action, words that he'd never thought he would ever say to another person.

"For your protection and the baby", he said. Furihata took the charm from Akashi, running his thumb on the wooden charm. On the wooden surface, the word** safety** was imprinted in black ink.

"Thank you, Akashi-san", said Furihata gladly.

The lanterns' light glowed in a line, Furihata walking along them with Akashi. They talked about each other – Akashi telling him about his times in Rakuzan and Furihata talking about his time in Seirin. The memory of the past chimed on every step they took, laughter (chuckles in Akashi's case) broke the soundless night at times like the bell ringing at each pull of the rope. The leafless branches moved at the gentle strike of the wind – the pavement soon changed into the roadway home. Once they were back at Kuroko's apartment, Akashi took his leave – the same goes to the rest since it was getting late. Furihata had gone to bed, feeling tired after the long walk. In his sleep, he smiled as the fluttering touches pulsated, a form of consolidation and a reminder that he wasn't alone.

* * *

Lipstick on. Make up on. Dress on. Freedom color check. High heels shoes on. Handbag? Leather? Yes, she finalized her looks while puckering her lips and winking at her own reflection in the mirror. A few days ago, Akashi Seijuurou had approached her – giving her the crazy talk about how to defy her dear father and exchanging the past Audit documents of the Higashi Corporation for one billion dollar of freedom. She pulled her hair into a neat bun, the queen of the Higashi family strutted like a model on a stage in the hotel lobby. The guard waiting at the restaurant door let her in – she was shown to her table where the red haired young man and his father was waiting together with her papa. The waiter pulled the chair for her and she sat down, looking around the table with confident. The last one laughing would be the measly youngsters and their swag-ness. Daddy's too old for games that she thought he should just retire.

"Your daughter is looking more beautiful day after day. I am proud to have her as my daughter in law", said Akashi's father.

"Your son too. A proud and handsome young man indeed", praised Mr. Higashi. The waiter arrived with the food, placing the respective orders in front of the guests. The fathers discussed about the date for the engagement – that was until the phone that belonged to Akashi's father rang. The old man excused himself to pick up the phone, heading to a corner where he could answer it. Akashi smiled knowingly – a few moments later, the old man came running to the table.

"I am sorry, Higashi-dono. I would have to leave now- an unexpected guest had decided to come by our company now and he is an important client. I'm sure you will understand", the old man said, gripping on the handkerchief and wiping his mouth before walking out from the restaurant. Mr. Higashi didn't stop the other – the talk of the engagement had been completed and would definitely move forward. That was what he wanted to believe.

"It's just the three of us, young man. Let's get to know each other better, eh?" said Mr. Higashi. Akashi glanced at the corner of his eyes and Naomi stood up at the signal.

"Papa, excuse me, I'd like to entertain to a private matter", she said, picking her bag and left the table for the washroom. Once Naomi was out of sight, Akashi who had yet to touch his food, said, "Mr. Higashi, I'd like to call off the engagement". Mr. Higashi stopped eating, his eyes narrowing at the young man in front of him. He cleared his throat, asking, "Pardon me but what is it that you said, Akashi-kun?"

Akashi didn't like to repeat himself; being ignored was seen as a form mockery in the higher society. The younger man looked straight into Higashi's eyes- if the old man thought Akashi Seijuurou could be easily brushed off, he would correct that perspective with a medication that would leave a bitter taste.

"A deaf ear will lead you to your own ending, Higashi-dono", said Akashi.

"You are not your father. His decision is yours. Breaking an engagement that has already been decided will require more than just saying it".

Akashi took the knife and stabbed the knife on the table – the sound of the knife penetration together with the slamming noise distracted the rest of the guest from their conversation. Akashi exhaled deeply, his monochromatic eyes glanced into the soul of the man in front of him.

"Higashi-dono, do you see my father anywhere at this moment?" he asked coolly.

"Of course not. He left for a business meeting".

"Which I set up. And what do you think he's doing right now, hm? More precisely, what kind of contract do you think he is signing for us?" asked Akashi, a smirk danced on his face – mirth engulfed him.

"W-What kind of contract?" asked Higashi, stuttering at the sudden change of the young man's demeanor. Darkness and power leaked into the air from the younger man, chasing out Mr. Higashis's tenacity- the table had turned and he could feel it. The old man's phone buzzed in his pocket – it was a call from the vice president of the Higashi's Corporation. Mr. Higashi picked up the phone. On the other side of the line, he could feel the panic that was brewing in the background.

"Higashi-dono, there's trouble!" his vice president shouted through the phone, "our alliance with the Dot NET corporation has been broken – DoT NET is going to merge with the Akashi Corporation".

"M-Merging?" Mr. Higashi asked. DoT NET, their biggest alliance company was merging with the Akashi Corporation? How was this possible? The old man Higashi suddenly remembered the power shift in the DoT NET – Mibuchi Reo, the owner's son cum the current president of DoT NET must have been the cause of the alliance annulment with the Higashi Corporation and the realization struck him; Mibuchi Reo and Akashi Seijuurou were acquainted.

His other phone rang too before he could finish the conversation with his vice president. The old man picked it up, trembling after he read the number on the screen. It was the number from the government audit firm and for them to call him, a strong political influence in Japan's government, a lead leading to him must have been discovered. He picked the phone up – his voice trembling as he said his greeting. The next moment he knew, he was charged for money laundering – the court had summoned him to be tried.

"H-How did you do all these?" asked Higashi, glaring at the composed young man in front of him.

"Perhaps through human interaction. I have my ways. Higashi-dono, I may not be able to stop the merging contract but I can still clear you from the law charges", Akashi said- he pulled the knife out from the table.

"I- I don't have to ask help from you! _Your_ father will help me without a second thought".

Akashi's sultry voice resounded in the restaurant- the laughter of a winner seeped through every being that was sitting in the diner. "My father dances in my hand, Higashi-dono. Without my consent, he will never be able to decide about anything. He put up a strong front to save his face when meeting you. He hates me since he knows very well that I am the one in control. By marrying your daughter to me, I am to be responsible of your past faults and I would take the fall and he'd be back in power when your _faults _are exposed. To believe in a man just as manipulative makes you a naïve person, Higashi-dono".

"What do you want me to do then?" asked Mr. Higashi helplessly.

"Break off the engagement and I will clear your charges".

Higashi clutched his fist – he flipped the table to the side, roaring curses at Akashi. "HOW DARE YOU?!" he shouted, his middle finger was displayed as he cursed to Akashi to rot in a grave. Akashi smirked –only he could beat his own business game. There won't be any more talk about engagement after this – he was satisfied with the result. The red haired man fixed his necktie- disappearing from the scene was the only logical step to take. Mr. Higashi would soon realize that his daughter had boarded the private jet Akashi had arranged for her to leave Japan. Beyond the horizon, the western world awaited- she'd be happier to start her life anew with the amount Akashi had rewarded her for her help.

This was Akashi's way to destroy a rival and to dodge control. Eliminate and earned with style. Like Muraskibara used to say back in his high school primetime,

_"I'll crush you"._


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello, there. Thank you for the heart- warming review. Another chapter for you guys. Yep, I have to update everyday since this week is my holiday. So, I am completing this and I am happy to do so. XD. Please take care of me~**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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**Chapter 7: It's like cutting through the water**

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The Osaka castle loomed on the highland and the moat, filled with water, became the sanctuary for the ducks. The Sakura tree, bare from any flowers surrounded the castle area. Visitors, mainly from Korea, stood on the bridge over the moat to capture images and some selfies with their phone camera. Furihata popped the coins into the vending machine in front of the ramen shop, deciding on the green tea. He was thirsty and even when it was cold outside, a cold beverages won't bother him – he quenched his thirst after twisting the bottle's cap.

Next to the bridge, Kuroko was feeding the ducks with stale bread, the ducks paddling in the water in circular formation nearby, waiting for the bread to be thrown their way. He tore the bread bit by bit and tossed the bread into the water. On the other side, a red haired man walked casually – his hands were far from being empty. Kagami crossed the bridge from the Osaka castle area, bringing with him a paper bag filled with roasted Sweet Potato. In the mid-month of January, the weather was alright for them to hang around outside with proper protection against the cold.

Kagami distributed the sweet potato to everyone present; one for Kuroko, two for Furihata and his baby and the rest (another 4) were for him. Furihata kept the other potato back inside the paper bag. He peeled the skin, biting through the warm sweet texture while enjoying the view. He rested his chin on the cold bottle; he had fun watching the ducks fighting for the bread that was being thrown by Kuroko.

Kuroko's sadistic nature had driven him to create imbalance in the duck's survival for the fittest. His aim for his bread toss changed at every swung – the ducks chased after the bread and fought neck to neck to get the bread. On his last throw, the target distance became further – the ducks flew away to get the bread. The teal haired man watched in strange fascination- ducks were… interesting creature.

The time on the watch was three o'clock – another red haired man, wearing black trench coat, sauntered around the fenced moat towards the three men. The closer he got, the more brightened up Furihata became; the more agitated Kagami became- only Kuroko showed no obvious change in his demeanor.

"Akashi-kun, good evening", Kuroko greeted, Kagami standing behind him in a defensive manner. Furihata waved from where he was standing. Three different people, three different reactions; it was hard to tell what kind of relationship they were chained to. The other passer-by gave them a once over – they were wondering if a fight was going to break out soon but when the four men walked in a group, the passer by lose their interest, returning to their previous activities. Furihata unzipped his bag, taking out a catalogue book to show it to Akashi.

"I've checked the catalogue like you have suggested the other day", he said, flapping the catalogue as he spoke. Akashi grabbed the catalogue, flipping the pages, finding circled images on some of the pages.

"Variations have its own negative impact on the mind", said Akashi.

"I haven't decided between the designs. I might have a better idea after I take a look at them", said Furihata eagerly. The four men took the city loop- boarding off the train once they had reached Kobayashi. They scaled the stairways around the area until they arrived at the shopping mall. The automatic door parted to give way and once inside, Furihata took off his jacket and hung it on his arm. Akashi took in the image of the said man overflowing with life – he was wearing a baggy yellow shirt and looser pants. The baby bump had started to show that he felt better wearing roomier clothes.

Akashi left his trench coat on while Kagami had kept his inside his bag pack. Kuroko was comfortable with having the jacket wrapping around him. They walked pass the woman's clothes' section, going up one floor to a section that no man in their twenties would want to go to – the baby section. Furihata flipped open the catalogue again; his feet bringing him to the baby cots section. He had three models in mind and to narrow the selection down to one was a difficult task to do. The first model was a sky blue cot with sunflowers print on it. A mosquito net hovered above the cot, extendable to be pinned at the corner. The second model was a light pink colored baby cot with cat pictures on it but it didn't have mosquito net, although Furihata found the cat picture adorable. He circled the images again with a blue pen. The third cot was a navy blue cot with images of the night stars and the cow jumping over the moon. The mosquito net was the pullover type with clips at each end.

"What do you think, Akashi-san?" asked Furihata. Out of all the baby cots options given, the vice president of Akashi Corporation preferred the pink cot with cat images.

"The one with the cat is… nice to look at", said the red haired man.

"But it doesn't have mosquito net".

Akashi beckoned a shopping employee- she hurriedly came over to assist him. "May I know the name of the company and this model's manufacturing ID", asked the red haired man. The worker excused herself to check on the record, disappearing behind the advertisement board where the entrance to the office was. While waiting, the two men went to look at the blankets and pillows design – they decided to buy the soft yellow blanket and pillow set.

The worker returned with a piece of paper. "This is a printed details about the baby cot model", she said, giving the paper to Akashi.

"Thank you", said the red haired man. When she went to assist another customer, Akashi read the details on the paper. He flipped his phone, his fingers moving fast on the keypad and when he heard a "Good morning, Akashi-sama" from the other side of the line, he greeted the secretary formally.

"Good moning, Naoto-san".

"How may I help you, Akashi-sama?"

"I would like to make an order to a company- a special order," asked the vice president.

"May I know the details about the company?" asked Naoto.

"Garvin Son Corporation. The model I would like to order is", he glanced at the paper, "D-45728. Add into the order a request to include mosquito net".

There was a brief pause on the other side. The frantic sound of the keyboard sounded in the background – Naoto, despite finding it odd that the vice president was ordering baby cot, refrained himself from asking.

"Is that all, Akashi-san?" he asked.

"Yes. Send the order to my villa and keep it a secret from my father".

"Alright, Akashi-sama". Akashi ended the call. He saw Furihata having a pleased expression – Akashi smirked back. Today he had proven to himself to be someone he wasn't, a green gentleman of the day. Kuroko and Kagami had joined them a little later, with Kagami giving a piggy back ride to a humongous teddy bear. The two had presented it to Furihata as a present from them to the baby. Furihata chuckled, telling them that it was still too early to buy such a thing. They had their lunch in Subway- Furihata liking the pickled chilies, a newfound sensitive food to be added onto Kuroko's list.

They continued their shopping mall adventure – Furihata browsing the designs of the girl's clothes. Although it was awkward to shop for baby items with four men – four _young_ men - Furihata enjoyed every last minute of it. After next week, he wouldn't get the chance to shop anymore like this since he would be staying inside the hospital. Luckily for him, the final examination would be over by next week and he had applied for a semester's leave so that he can just focus on the baby's condition.

By the time they got out from the shopping mall, they were carrying back a huge paper bag with the baby's clothing, the baby 's bottle set, the teddy bear and the blanket and pillow set at Akashi's expenses (except for the teddy bear). Akashi offered to stay over for the night in which Furihata easily agreed to. Akashi shared the bed with Furihata who cozily slept, worn out from the shopping. The baby was becoming heavier day by day- his uncontrollable eating habit wasn't helping him at all – he looked a little plump than usual. She was also very active at night, moving around occasionally but the movement became normal to Furihata that he slept without a problem – the same couldn't be said during the exam week when the pressure was overbearing that he couldn't sleep.

Akashi, who was admiring the ceiling at one in the morning, pondered over his situation. He was going to be a father. How should he feel about this experimentation? How should he feel about the baby? The red haired man sat up, his eyes fixed on the baby bump. He heard Furihata slept talk about eating too much candy and frowning and he didn't let go of his gaze at the abdomen. The red haired man rested his palm on the baby bump, lying his head down on the bump to listen. He frowned when he felt a movement against his cheek.

"You're going to be a difficult child, hm?" he whispered quietly, as if he was having a conversation with the baby. He felt another movement; the baby was responding to his voice keenly.

"I see, you're… protesting", said Akashi, smiling in the dark. Even before she was born, Akashi could've already seen himself in the other child. He had a longer conversation with the baby afterwards (with him doing the talking and the baby responding to him through movement) that when the sun rose into the sky, Furihata woke up to the most adorable sight he had seen. Akashi was sleeping near the baby bump. The brunet haired man scratched his head, taking his phone and snapping a picture of the said man lying so close to his daughter.

"Hm, I'll let you two bond for a little longer", said Furihata, going back to sleep.

* * *

Furihata's mother placed the cake plate in front of her husband who was reading the newspaper grumpily. Ever since her son was chased out from the house, he had not been his usual calm self. He would wake up grumpy, he would eat food grumpily, he would go to work grumpily and he would sleep at night grumpily. The wife knew that her husband didn't fully hate the son – he must have somehow regretted his word after the meeting.

"Why are you making cake when you know I hate confectionaries?" asked her husband grumpily.

"I didn't. It was given by the neighbor and it's not as sweet, darling".

"Hmph", the husband grunted, taking the spoon and eating it without another comment. Mr. Furihata hadn't been able to taste the food for a while now after the meeting. Everything around him was wrong. Even the morning felt different – he'd woke up feeling miserable every day ever since that time.

"Honey, I know you are regretting your action. You should apologize to Kouki", said his wife who had taken a piece for himself.

"Men don't apologize. He got what he deserved", said Mr. Furihata stubbornly. The wife's expression softened. "Hmmm? I must have been mistaken to think that you'd actually keep your promise to your son", she said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Just reminiscing about the past. Remember how you used to talk to Kouki when I was pregnant with him? I seem to remember you telling him that you'd forgive him in the future if he did something wrong. Isn't that a promise that you make to yourself ever since that time?"

"Woman, you really know how to tick me off", said her husband. He remembered that time too – no matter what wrongdoings his son had made, he'd always give him his forgiveness. What difference would now make than in the past?

"Call him and tell him that you have forgiven him", the wife persuaded gently. Her husband didn't answer her, his eyes moving across the page but not a single word was registering in his mind. The half-eaten cake remained on the table when he left the house to go to work. The hour passed by in the empty house, the TV buzzing with the morning shows. Furihata's mother was cleaning the vegetables when the house phone rang. She picked up the receiver after wiping her hand on the apron, answering the phone with a polite 'hello'.

As the conversation went on, she became more anxious. She had had her hand on her mouth by the time the conversation ended, sobbing uncontrollably. She dialed the only number she had had memorized, waiting anxiously for the other to pick up. The voice of her son resounded – Furihata's mother broke down.

"Kouki, your father collapsed from a heart attack in his office this morning".

* * *

Furihata had almost dropped his phone when he heard the news. He was about to return to sleep when it happened – the ringtone of his phone rang, the call were answered and the news were told. He shook the red haired man awake who frowned at Furihata. Akashi looked at the other in confusion – why was Furihata having a nightmarish face on?

"A-Akashi-san", he choked, "my father… He had a heart attack".

Furihata wasn't sure what happened next. Akashi had called his driver to fetch them, had booked the last minute bullet train tickets on the phone and had arranged another transport in Tokyo in a short time span. By the time he pieced himself together, they were already at the Tokyo General Hospital. Furihata's mother was waiting at the lobby for him – it seemed that she had also received a call from Akashi to wait for their arrival. When she saw them, the small woman hugged Furihata, glad that he had made it safely to Tokyo.

"How's father?" Furihata asked with concern.

"Your father is still resting. I'm sorry for troubling you, Akashi-kun", the mother apologized.

"C-Can I see father?" asked Furihata- he was already on the verge of crying. He and his father had been the longest best friend since he was young – he had given Furihata everything he needed, wanted- that one time fury would not shake his affection to his father.

"Come on", said the mother – she had been crying too. She brought them to the room where her husband was resting. Kouki knocked the door lightly, leaving enough gap for him to let his voice be heard by his father.

"Father, this is Kouki. Can I come in?" asked Furihata.

"Didn't I tell you that I don't want to see you? How dare you show your face to me?"

"You're just being stubborn, old man", Furihata entered the room. His mother and Akashi stayed outside. This matter must be solved between the two of them alone. Furihata sat next to his father, glaring at the man lying on the bed.

"I'm going to have this child no matter what you say", he said firmly.

"Do you think I would easily consent to your request?"

"It is not a request", said Furihata, "I am an adult too. I can make my own choices. I hope you'd for once listen to my decision".

"I let you have plenty of chance to make your own decisions".

"I know. That's why father, even if you are angry at me, I want you to respect her because she is my decision".

"… I would be able to deal with that at least", he resigned from the argument. The doctor had said that he should keep his anger and depression in check – he shouldn't risk a possibility of another collapse. Furihata heaved a relief sigh- he hiccupped and without realizing, the tears had fallen down on his cheek.

"Stupid – hic- Stupid father!" he cried, throwing himself at the old man who gasped in shock. "If –if you are going to –hic- fall sick like this, -hic- you shouldn't say those –hic- those things!" His father's face changed to a calmer one – he tousled the hair of his only son.

"I'm sorry", said his father.

"Not forgiven!" Furihata sobbed. Blame the hormone for his crying tendency. He hiccupped and wailed like a small child in front of his father, letting out the welled up sadness that he just wanted to coil and sleep. The sobs reduced to just dry hiccups and the young man fell asleep with his face buried on the bed. Akashi had come in, introducing himself properly to the glaring man and excused himself after shaking the other man awake and led him to the car.

Furihata, his mother and Akashi had sent the mother back home. Akashi and Furihata had stayed for the night – his mother cooking homey dishes. Furihata ate happily – he missed his mother's cooking after leaving Tokyo for Osaka. He had never got the chance to eat when he returned to them to bring the news about his pregnancy.

Furihata had gone up to rest in his room after eating- Akashi staying in the living room with Furihata's mother alone.

"Mrs. Furihata, I apologize for my wrongdoings to your family" said Akashi when the small woman sat across the table.

"Oh, no. You don't have to worry at all. My husband might be fierce but he's compassionate".

"Kouki, he took after you".

"Oh, yes, most of his personality but that stubbornness isn't from me. That's from his father. Oh, have some tea", she said, pouring the green tea into the tea cup. Akashi, with grace he had been taught since young, picked up the cup with good posture.

"You must have come from a wealthy family", praised the small woman.

"I was raised in one. My upbringing is … harsher than Kouki".

"Ah, I'm sorry for asking. I don't mean to bring up bad memory".

"You don't have to worry. I am well versed to questions like this one", said Akashi.

Furihata's mother kindly smiled at him. "You're a generous person, Akashi-kun. I am glad that my son is in your care". Akashi's guilt resurfaced- he had been paying attention to Furihata lately- all his needs, he attended to all of them because the said man was carrying the child, the sign of a successful testing. What was Kouki to him?

He knew he was betraying Furihata's mother expectation but he couldn't correct himself – at least not to this kind – hearted woman. When she had retreated to her room, Akashi sat at the porch in the mult-layer yukata, the night empty from any sound. Winter was coming to an end. Soon the spring would come. Soon the baby would be born.

He heard the sound of the window being unlocked above him. There was someone else who was watching the moon with him- Furihata let the breeze entered his room while he nestled underneath the blanket. Just like that, they sat together, one above the other. Akashi moved from his sitting position, slipped into a pair of sandals and walked out into the garden. If he needed to figure things out, it had to be done at the moment.

Furihata looked down from the window to the said man who had had his eyes casted to him. In the past months they had been standing next to each other, not once had he felt this close to Akashi when he was on the ground while he was above it. Furihata draped his hand down as if to reach Akashi, the said man smirking at him. That smirk molded into a gentler form of lip tugging – a softer smile graced the handsome face of Akashi Seijuuro.

Akashi had them figured out- his feelings- long ago. His mind was slow to catch up- only at the lair of the Chihuahua had he finally accepted. All of the times together ever since they first met, it only happened because the chemistry between them existed. Akashi, raising his voice to Furihata (who was on the first floor), said,

"Kouki, stay by my side. This is an order".

* * *

"Banzai!" Takao shouted when he had come to visit Furihata again. He had received the news from Midorima (who was frightened to the point he forget about Oha Asa the whole day) about Furihata's official relationship with Akashi.

Kagami had refuted about it, saying how he didn't trust Akashi enough for him to hand over Furihata to him. Kuroko, half-agreeing, had tried to make Furihata rethink his decision but the other was unyielding to all of his mentions of Akashi's bad points. Of course it was done without Akashi being anywhere in the vicinity.

The only person that was accepting the news happily was Takao. At least, there was someone who wouldn't try to change Furihata's mind and became all supportive. Seeing that how Furihata's decision was not going to waver, Kuroko accepted the whole thing after giving up from trying to save Furihata from the deepest hell.

"It is not in my place to destroy what you have. I wish you a thousand years of luck handling both Akashi-kun and the baby", said Kuroko.

"Kuroko, no! Don't just agree with him!" Kagami cried obnoxiously. Kuroko flicked Kagami's nose painfully.

"Kagami-kun, you have to learn how to respect people's opinion".

"NOOOOOO!" the red haired man yelled, "NOOO! I am not giving away my daughter to such man!"

'Who's your daughter?' both Kuroko and Furihata thought.

"Aw, the bakagami is just sad losing you to a better man", said Takao teasingly. Kuroko twitched for the first time during the day.

"Kagami-kun, you still have me. Please don't remove me from your attention list".

Kagami's eyes rounded. "I- I don't mean it that way".

"It sounds like you did mean it that way".

"You're like my wife and Furihata is like our daughter. Of course, I'd feel pained".

"Now, you're ignoring my gender right. You're sleeping on the couch tonight".

Kagami let out a baffled sound. "Ehhh?" was heard through the apartment building. Someone would not be getting any tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Heya! Thank you for the reviews and here is the second last installment for this story. Thank you sweetsmasher for the toddler's picture of Furihata's daughter. Love it. AND the name suggestion is beautiful too. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

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**Chapter 8: Welcome home, baby!**

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On week twenty-two, Midorima had gathered the hospital's obstetrician and a few other selected medical staffs to discuss about a pre-planned premature labour through Caesarean Section. The team was made of a doctor (the midwife), four nurses and a standby team from the Emergency Room department for the cases where they would have to apply emergency procedure on Furihata. He gave them a briefing on actions to be taken during the labour – due to Furihata's abnormal condition, the chance of premature labour was high. Midorima would act as the surgeon if the situation called for him to do so (one of his qualification allowed him to do surgery too but he wasn't a midwife). The labour would be carried out in the emergency room to make it easier for them to do a necessary protocol if needed. The rest of team had left the room with clear understanding of the procedure to be carried out when it happened. Later, Midorima had told Furihata to never go to the toilet without company – if he went into labour, someone would have to immediately notify the doctor. Furihata, despite wanting to protest, agreed half-heartedly.

On week twenty-three, Akashi had brought his mother over to be his company. The red haired man had rented a nearby apartment for Furihata's mother- she insisted on taking care of Furihata until the baby was safely born. His father won't be able to be there with them because of work – Furihata wished they could be waiting together for the sign of birth. He understood the importance of his job and so, Furihata restrained himself for wishing for silly things such as having his father's constant presence.

On week twenty-four, Midorima increased the number of checkups to every hour – he would bring in the clipboard, asking him questions such as how he was doing, was he feeling nauseous and the lots. Furihata answered casually but the repetition of the checkups made him feel discomfort. The baby was also becoming more active, giving him a hard time to sleep – even in his wake, she was still moving a lot and the only time she would be quiet was at 4 am to 12 pm – she became a little demon after that- the young mother could only groan.

Week twenty-five and there was still no sign of anything life-threatening. Early in the morning, Midorima had walked in with a clipboard, checking Furihata's health status like he did every hour. He had asked questions – had the brunet haired male felt anything strange? Backache? Flu-like symptoms? Or even cramps? Furihata had told him that he felt normal, just a little unpleasant with the baby's abrupt kicking when she needed attention.

On week twenty-six, things were going pretty smoothly and Furihata felt that there was no need to call for a nurse to accompany him to the toilet and it wasn't the visiting hour yet; his mother wouldn't be watching over him. In ten minutes, midorima would come in to do another checkup but Furihata was suffocated by the constant observation that he felt the need to hide from Midorima during this checkup. If only they would just let him have an hour of undisturbed time every day, he'd feel better about staying in the hospital. Furihata propped his hand, resting his chin on it – the toilet door looked so boring – like a white canvas with no image to perceive.

He checked his watch again. Midorima should be searching for him by now. Being in the hospital was dull - at least at where he was hospitalized at. He wished that there was something more to do in the hospital like playing snooker or playing video games – he was bored of reading novels and manga. Any electronic items were not allowed to be used in his ward; it couldn't get any more boring than that but he understood the reasons why electronics were prohibited - to reduce the disturbance on the machines that were used for gathering patient's status. This was going on in his head when a trail of water came out from his mouth. He wiped it with the back of his hand – the water was awfully pink, he noted.

He was standing up to go back to his ward, having enough of the high and seek game with Midorima when he sputtered more of the pinkish water. Furihata choked and gagged on the liquid, finding it hard to breathe as the liquid filled his lung. He leaned against the wooden door feeling light headed. With the pinkish liquid rising to his throat, he could only think of one thing - he'd drown. He prayed for someone to come to his rescue and in the next moment, destiny showed him a silver lining.

"Furihata-kun, please come out if you're here. Midorima-kun is worried", he heard Kuroko's voice in the distance. Furihata banged on the wooden door loudly, attracting the attention of the teal haired man.

"K-hurgh- Kuroko, h-help", he muttered weakly, coughing out the liquid as he spoke. He heard Kuroko hurrying to get help. The world was a blurry place after that as he heard the sounds of footsteps running into the toilet, breaking down the locked toilet door and helping him to get on a wheelchair.

The light faded sporadically; his eyes losing focus of the ceiling. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the bed facing upwards. Furihata couldn't register the faces around him – the water that leaked through his mouth was non-stoppable.

"He's drowning! We have to carry out the drowning first aid," one of the emergency room doctor cried as he tried to get the situation in control in the fuzziness – Furihata felt his chest was pressed against when the doctor carried out the first aid for drowning to push the water out from his lung and to empty them from any of the liquid. Furihata coughed again – more of the liquid came out as he sputtered. There in the background was Midorima's voice.

"Furihata, please pay attention to my voice. Do not lose me. You have to be strong", Midorima shouted next to him. His shoulder skin was pricked – his whole body felt numb from the pain.

"I am going to cut open a small hole to attach the tube above your abdomen", Midorima said loudly. The green haired made a small hole- he stabilized his hands as he did so. Once the hole was introduced at where the uterus lining was supposed to be at (uterus lining and baby's amniotic membrane now ruptured), he plugged in a tube and redirect the amniotic liquid flow from going up the esophagus. An ER team member gave Furihata another pushed on the chest; the brunet haired boy coughed out the liquid, turning his head to the side. At the same time, another doctor, a midwife was already working on the Caesarean section. The bed shook as he took out the baby – within a few painless minutes, a soft cry was heard in the Emergency room.

Stitching process was carried out afterwards. Furihata came around soon after. He didn't move- he couldn't; Midorima had ordered him to lie down until the amniotic liquid had been emptied completely. The brunet haired man, exhausted from the whole process, closed his eyes. Taking a short nap sounded good to him. The only sound in the room that was heard was the beeping of the IV stand used by the doctors to see his heart regulations. He nodded off in the emergency room- there was still a nurse present to watch over him for any complications.

Outside of the emergency room, Kuroko and Furihata's mother was waiting. It had been two hours since the time Furihata was brought into the room. Kuroko had called Akashi who had left in the middle of an important meeting upon receiving the news. Kagami was on his way from his college. Furihata's mother had called her husband to update him about their son. In every words that she spoke, the anxious sound intertwined – she couldn't help but imagined the worst outcome from the labor.

Midorima came out after the two hours, his face was wet with sweat. He took off his mask, preparing with the news about Furihata and the baby.

"They", he paused, wiping the sweat with his handkerchief, "they've made it. Although there were some complications in the beginning, they both survived the labor. However, Furihata would have to go through a surgery soon to clear the remains of the uterus and the sac. We need to close a small tear in the intestine membrane that has caused him almost his life- during the rupturing, it must have also affected the intestine outer membrane. The operation shall be done in the next two hours. We would move him to another emergency room and operate from there. Right now, we are still clearing the amniotic liquid".

Kuroko, who had been pacing worriedly in front of the emergency room for the last two hours, collapsed with his bottom on the floor. Furihata's mother was sobbing, happy and relieved that his son had survived the labour. She pulled Midorima into a warm hug to thank him for his effort to keep her son safe. There were no words good enough to portray her gratitude. Midorima was a fine young doctor- she bowed her head at him. The green haired doctor, stiffed in his position initially, relaxed his shoulder at the hug and patted her back soothingly. He advised the small woman to take a rest in the lobby with Kuroko, who stood up after gaining his composure, beaming at Midorima earnestly.

Midorima received the report from the midwife doctor soon after. A baby girl was born in April in the season of blooming flowers to indicate the start of a new life, weighing 2.3 pounds, fathered by Akashi Seijuurou and mothered by Furihata Kouki. Midorima laughed evilly; he could now recruit and train a new Shogi Player to beat the ass of one Akashi-sama. All he needed to do was to befriend this little girl. They had, after all, shared connections, him as her doctor and she as her patient.

"But I am still happy that both of them survived too. I thought I was going to lose him", Midorima whispered into the air, entering the emergency room to check on the brunet haired man. He had passed the surgery baton to another of his colleague who would do the cleaning up of the evidence of breaking discovery.

* * *

Akashi stood in the wards hours later after the consecutive surgery. Furihata was lying on his back, still sleeping to rest from the exhausting procedures. The other man was sleeping with the oxygen cap on, the IV bleeping gently next to bed. It was just him and his lover in the wards – Akashi caressed the pale face of the other kindly (a gesture he had never done to anyone else)– this person had given birth to a miracle and Akashi tipped his hat at the other with admiration.

He had seen the baby- she was on full life support with oxygen tube linked to her nose and a nurse on constant monitoring of the baby due to her premature birth. She was very small but was far from sickly looking. In fact, the baby looked content to be able to be born into the world – it was as if she had wanted and wished to see her parents so soon. She had little brunette hair lining her head flatly and her facial structure was as soft as Akashi's one. He had yet to see the eyes color but he knew he was going to love them all the same.

He heard a low moan coming from the bed. Furihata stirred from his sleep, peeking to see the light of the ward's lamp. He turned his head slowly towards the man next to him- Akashi linked their hands together, tightening the grasp for a few seconds then loosening the hold back.

"Everyone thought we were going to lose you", said Akashi, reflecting on Kuroko and Furihata's mother's expressions when they told him the news. Kuroko had been crying too when Kagami arrived, clutching Kagami's shirt and burying his face onto the other's chest – he had been holding back to be an emotional support to Furihata's mother.

"I could only feel fear when I received the call from Kuroko. It was my mistake and I felt fear", Akashi said, turning his head away from Furihata. "If I hadn't done that, I wouldn't put your life at risk. I read Midorima's report. Those two hours had been a struggle for you and him. The birth had to be done dryly without the use of anesthetic to put you to sleep and you were drowning when the uterus ruptured. Midorima said, he had been scared. I will assure you, I will not repeat the same mistake. That is my promise".

Furihata smiled gently. He shook the man's hand a little to get his attention. He too had something to say and he would not allow Akashi to indulge in his safe pitying state. "The Akashi Seijuurou that I know was fiercer than this – a man who would never bow to destiny", said Furihata. Akashi looked at him with surprised expression – why wasn't Furihata lashing at him for almost causing him his death?

"Seijuuro-san, I could've aborted the baby if I didn't want her", he said, his voice cracking due to his dry throat, "but I didn't. I think she is the best gift I have ever had and you have given me that opportunity to have her. Thank you".

If Akashi was Kagami, he would've cried in happy tears. If he was Midorima, he would've denied and lectured about the safety issue. If he was Aomine, he would suggest that they made another one. If he was Murasakibara… he couldn't really tell what Murasakibara would do. He was Akashi and Akashi never wavered. The red haired man recomposed himself – "You shall be the happiest man on earth because I am going to marry you".

Furihata, taken aback by the transitional from a discussion about the baby to a marriage proposal, couldn't believe at what just happened. His mind was still processing the words – Akashi said he wanted to marry Furihata. What was he supposed to answer to this unpredictable progress?

"What says you, Kouki?" asked the other. A tear rolled down his cheek.

"That's so unfair, Seijuurou-san. You asked me knowing that I would agree, don't you?"

"If you don't want to, you may reject my proposal".

"No, no, no! I want a family with you. Me, you and the baby".

"Good because if you have rejected, I was ready to change your mind forcefully", said Akashi, revealing his plan B to Furihata. The brunet boy giggled- Akashi really did things at his own pace.

Later on, he shared their engagement news with his parents. Furihata's father, irked that someone else, a man at that, had stolen his son under his nose had dragged Akashi to punch him in the face before giving him their blessing. Kagami had laughed when he saw the red bruise on Akashi's cheek – the Rakuzan ex-captain had withheld retaliation to allow the proceeding to move forward smoothly.

It wasn't until three weeks later when Furihata was discharged from the hospital. He had been shown the baby for the first time after his discharge – his baby girl, three weeks old had yet to open her eyes since they weren't fully developed (as explained by Midorima) and she looked so calm in her sleep. They had to wait a little while longer before they can hold a naming ceremony, preferably when her care could be transferred to her parents fully.

"Prepare yourself mentally while you still can, Akashi, for your happiness will not last very long when she arrives", Midorima smirked knowingly. Akashi heed to his warning – he spent the remaining eight weeks sweetening their love life, going on a one day trip here and there as their early honeymoon period even when the marriage date was still further away.

On the thirty-eight weeks, Furihata and Akashi waited in Midorima's office patiently. Finally, they were able to bring her home and they couldn't wait to give her the name they had decided for her. A female nurse walked into the office with a bundle in her arm. She passed the baby to Furihata (who had learnt from his mother the method to hold a baby) and left the office. Furihata observed the baby girl lovingly – she really had Akashi's soft facial structure, he thought, but her hair was brunette. He wondered if she would open her eyes to see her parent. The baby, recognizing the scent of her mother, nuzzled closer against the sheet that was separating her from Furihata's chest. Her lips gaped as she fell into sleep - she looked content.

"She weighs 4. 1 pounds – and she really loves her bottle so we are going to let you take it home. She's a healthy baby and she may go home now with her parent. Have a happy life together", Midorima said, looking tired from his other appointments and paperwork. Ever since the successful procedure of Furihata's labour and surgery, he had been promoted to be a surgical procedure planner. His new position explained the increasing stacks of black files in the office.

"Welcome home, baby", Furihata caressed her soft cheek.

"Oh, Midorima-san", said Furihata after remembering the occasion they had planned to do, "We are going to have a baby naming ceremony next week at night".

"Where?" asked Midorima shortly.

"At Tetsuya's place", Akashi answered.

"I'll try to be present", said Midorima.

"You _can_ make it, Shintarou", Akashi said threateningly. Midorima gulped and leaned into his chair.

"Of course, I will be there".

"Good".

Akashi could be frightening at times. He hoped that nothing bad would happen to Furihata in the future for sailing on the same ship with the red haired man.

* * *

Murasakibara had been the one in charge for the food this time with Kagami baking the cake. Tonight, everyone would be gathering to celebrate the naming of Furihata's daughter. Kuroko put up the banner with a congratulation phrase on it. He tied colorful balloons next to the banner – the living room was decorated as cheerfully as possible so that Akashi's gloomy disease wouldn't infect her.

Aomine and Kise had returned from America for three months two days before – a break necessary for them to rejuvenate from workplace. They had rented an apartment in Osaka city center. Kuroko received a call from Kise telling him that they would be at his home in the afternoon.

Around twelve, the idiotic couple arrived, bringing with them a basketball ball with Aomine's and Kise's signature as their present to the baby. Kuroko had kept the ball on the table where gifts accumulated – Murasakibara had bought a baby's hamper set and Himuro had bought a white baby towel shaped into a flower. Kagami who had seen the ball mocked Aomine playfully.

"Do you think the baby would be able to play the ball at a very young age? She still has her eyes shut, Ahomine, the last time I checked".

"It's a game ball! A game ball that I won! It cost millions!"

"A free gift, if you asked me", Kagami said, grinning ear to ear. "You even signed the ball… And Kise too. Wow, you narcissist bastards. I can't believe you guys", he whistled.

"Kagamicchi, don't bully Aominecchi!" Kise fumed from the sideline.

"Yeah, don't bully me, bakagami!" Aomine retorted back. A quiet moment befallen the three people. Kise hopefully looked at Aomine.

"What?" Aomine asked back, unsure of Kise's intention.

"You're not going to back me up from his insult, Aominecchi?" asked Kise.

"Was I supposed to?"

"… AHOMINE NO BAKA!" Kise fumed – tonight, Aomine would be sleeping on the couch. Kagami laughed loudly- Aomine was more clueless in the realm of relationship than him. The blue haired man tried to ask for forgiveness from the other and at the same time defending his action – how could he tell that Kise had wanted him to back him up? Kise kicked the Aho's face lightly. He would not be reconciled by the insensitive jerk.

Around noon, Furihata's parent arrived. They had a friendly conversation – Furihata's mother praising them for being good friends to Furihata. Kise, a people person, had managed to have interesting conversation with both of the adults. The time passed by quickly as they held a conversation until the arrival of Akashi, Furihata and the baby.

Furihata sat on his knee in front of his parents, greeting them in solace of their presence, the baby rested cozily in his arm. Akashi followed after, was on his knee too, his face expression blank from any obvious emotions. Furihata's mother gasped when she saw the blanket wrapping around the baby.

"That blanket… It is the blanket that have been passed down from your grandmother to me then to you and now to the baby", said Furihata's mother.

"I was finding a suitable ceremonial clothes for her. Then I remembered about the wrapped parcel you've given me. I love it, mum".

He offered her mother to hold the baby. Furihata's mother scooped the small child into her arms. "It's a beautiful baby girl. Have you decided the name for your daughter, Kouki?"

"Yes. I have discussed it with Seijuurou-san in the previous weeks".

Furihata's mother turned to look at her husband. "Would you like to see your granddaughter, darling?" The old man didn't reply but he took the baby into his arm – the baby opened her eyes for the first time to see the face of her grandfather. Furihata's father recognized the big round eyes – it was the eyes that had led him to have a family when he was younger.

"She has your mother's eyes. Your daughter is beautiful, son".

Furihata excitedly hovered closer. He hadn't seen the baby's eyes yet – he waved at her when she blinked at her mother instinctively.

"Seijuurou-san, look at her eyes!"

Akashi leaned forward to have a look too. "I see. Even when you are young you are keen to test my patience".

"We've been waiting for this moment ever since she returned home but she never let us see her eyes. I was getting worried but I think she just wanted to see her grandfather first", explained Furihata.

Midorima arrived in the evening with Takao – they had a celebrative dinner before sitting around in a small circle in the living hall. Furihata and Akashi stood in the middle. They were going to announce the baby's name to everyone.

"The name that is going to be given to this child is, Yuki (Snow) – the winter had been the the beginning point of her life. Airi (Ai – Beloved; Ri- Jasmine) – a symbol of love and attachment that we hoped would last until the end. Her surname, as decided, will be of mine", said Akashi.

"Yuki Airi Akashi is her full name", Furihata concluded.

"Oh~ we have another Akashicci! I shall call her Kiricchi from now on", Kise bounced in his seat excitedly.

"Please don't come up with weird nicknames, Kise-kun", said Kuroko dangerously.

"Aw, Kurokocchi! Don't be jealous. I won't abandon you!"

And Kise returned home with a bump on his head.


	9. OMAKE (THE END)

**A/N: A short omake for you guys. XD . Feel sad that I have completed this story. Though I am... planning... for a sequel but I'm not sure when I can write it yet. However, thanks for all of your support. Really, really appreciated it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

**OMAKE**

* * *

The room was painted in bright blue – decorative stars were stuck on the wall and the queen sized bed in the corner were covered in pink duvet. A basketball ball with Kise's signature and Aomine's signature sat in the corner of the room; it was the only gift that had been kept since she was a baby. Yuki, who had just got out from her bed, searched inside her drawer for a comfortable outfit– she would have a basketball training after class, then the sportswear would be the perfect choice. The ten years old had led her teams to victory in so many games that she was called the prodigy in the female basketball world- she had made both of her fathers a proud men.

Yuki loved both of her parents. Her daddy was a famous model in America despite being a Japanese and his papa was the best basketball player in the world. Even though some people scorned her family make up, she didn't let their words bother her – she was content knowing that she was cared for. The girl finished rummaging her drawer – she had settled with a blue t-shirt and a pair of black short. She also wore her bright blue basketball shoes to school – papa would scold her for not taking care of the shoes later but she was too lazy to bring with her a spare that she would just wear them from home.

The brunette haired girl held onto the banister as she climbed down the stairs, heading to the kitchen where her daddy was preparing the breakfast. Papa was already sitting at the table watching the previously recorded NBA games to study about the rivaling teams. She joined him as she waited for her daddy to finish cooking.

"Kiricchi, have you done your homework?" asked her daddy, looking at her suspiciously.

"Um… Oops? I was too tired making new strategy for our next game that I forgot to do it?" the young lady rubbed the back of her head guiltily.

"Kiricchi, if your CGPA dropped again, you won't be able to play in basketball games. Your marks depends on your paper submission. You know the importance of finishing your homework".

"Listen to your daddy, Yuki", her papa said but he didn't look away from the screen.

Yuki knew both men were right. "I'll finish it in school. I promise". She still had two classes before the subject. She had enough time to complete it. Yuki ate the omelet and the tofu soup cooked happily – her daddy made great omelet and tofu soup. Once she was done, she said her goodbye cheerfully, getting on her bicycle and pedaled it fast to school.

She parked her bicycle and greeted Jonathan and Leona from class A, running straight to her school's gym locker room to see the match up for the summer game. When she felt strong presence standing behind her, she turned to look around. It was one of her teammates, Kate – the half Canadian mixed with Asian had been hating her guts ever since Yuki was promoted to become the captain of St. Pete school's basketball team.

"Oh, I didn't know I would be meeting the teacher's pet Miss Aomine this early. What an unlucky day", said Kate.

"You should know who you are talking to, Kate. I am your captain. Have some respect".

"Not for the likes of you", Kate pushed her shoulder harshly. "You fake captain – you think you are too great? Nobody here thinks like that except for yourself".

"I'm not going to fight you here. It's stupid", Yuki said, brushing Kate off.

"Why should I listen to you?" the other barked, "You're not the only player who can lead the team to victory. I should know better since my height is an advantage against you, shortie".

Yuki looked at Kate blankly. "My daddy used to say that if talking does not work, settle it with one on one. I'll gamble my position and yours your respect. If I put you in your place, you shall obey me but if I lose, I'll let you do whatever you want".

Kate, tempted by the offer, got ready to play one on one with Yuki. They still had thirty minutes before the class. The two girls got on the court – Yuki dribbled the ball with light touches, a skill she had picked up from Aomine. She observed the girl's movement in front of her – the other girl was tall and quick but she knew Kate very well. In an instant, she predicted her course. Taking a step forward, Yuki dodged all the plausible spots Kate could move to and threw a basket. Three minutes later, the young brunette girl was scoring six baskets in total.

"That… Those were flukes!" cried Kate.

"We still have twelve minutes. Prove yourself, Kate".

And by the end of the one on one, Yuki had won her gamble. The other girl was on the floor, looking at her with pure terror. Yuki was a monster on the court. It wasn't easy to stop her when she could see the futuristic movements.

"From now on, do not disobey me. My words are law", Yuki warned her. She had a quick shower and changed her clothes before going to class feeling fresh. She had managed to finish her homework and during literature lesson, she was called up to present her penmanship about her parents. Her essay were about the life of a famous model, Kise Ryouta living together with his husband, Aomine Daiki – there were many funny moments that she had included in the essay just for the fun of it and her essay had caught the teacher's attention.

After school, she went straight for her training, sharpening her agility and random movements to give surprise attack to the players marking her. The training ended with a short briefing by the coach – after the training she had packed her bag and went to the roofed bicycle shed. She was unlocking her bicycle when she noticed a red haired man standing next to the vending machine – he was staring intently at her that she felt a bit scared. He smirked when she returned the eye-contact. The girl kept the lock in the bicycle's basket and pedaled away, feeling a little bit disturbed.

Hidden in the other corner was a brunet haired man of thirty two years old. He came out from his hiding place, taking off the sunglasses he had been wearing.

"I am happy to know that she is doing well", said Furihata to his husband. They had been following her since the minute she arrived at school to the end of the day; Akashi had been proud that her little girl could lead a team with the same intensity he had when he was younger.

"Watching from afar is the only thing we can do for her after the incident five years ago. I am thankful of Ryouta and Daiki for keeping her safe in America".

"It's for the best, Seijuurou-san but the feeling to just run and take her back with us is still strong. I want to believe there is still a chance for the three of us to live together".

"It might've been a little too late now", said Akashi.

"You're right. As for now, she is Yuki Airi Aomine. The Akashi name does not exist with her".

Akashi linked their hands together. "Let's watch over her from a distant. We'll protect her from the shadow. I won't allow anyone to lay hand on our little girl and that is my promise".

As the sun set down, the married couple walked in the opposite direction from where their daughter was heading. What they didn't know was in the nearest future, there would be a chance for them to be together again. Another episode would open and they waited for the moment to come patiently.


	10. SQL Title

THE TEN YEARS OF DARKNESS AND THEREAFTER is up. Just saying it here cuz I want to thank everyone for reading.

Okay~ This is the SQL to Look at What I've made. Thanks for the reviews. XD I know, I know. Why indeed did I make it happen that way? Haha, blame my hands. Sometimes I typed without thinking. XD But I just thought the story has so many weaknesses I have to cover so I hope that the Sequel would answer all these weak points. I am wondering about them myself too. XD. I don't know how dark the background story would be ... The theme would probably be heavier and for this one, I have no idea how long it would be.


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